Solmo's Legacy
by InnerFire
Summary: A Necromancer comes within inches of saving the world, then inexplicably vanishes without a trace. It was not Diablo's doing, but someone must fill the vaccum left by the hero's sudden disappearance, before all is lost.
1. Quick Intro

**A/N Hey there, readers! This is a story I've fiddled with for a looong time, so its reeealy long. But, it's finally done, and I'm posting it! So. The deal with Solmo is that he was my first Necromancer, but he got corrupted by a patch. So, I reinstalled, started over with 2 new characters, and wrote a story along with them. **

**I tried to put the chapters at good stopping points, because it's pretty long.**

**Without further ado…**

Solmo. Kara shook her head. Much had been heard of this legend, the Necromancer who had single handedly hacked through Diablo's minions. He had saved the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye from annihilation by Andariel, had saved the port city of Lut Gohlein from the Demon Lord Duriel, and had moved on to the jungles of Kurast, even going so far as to challenge Mephisto himself. His exploits were well known. But, as she had just found out, he had apparently been bested. According to what she had just heard from the Oracle, he had been fighting through the Kurast jungles, then had returned to town. As he slept, a magical portal had opened and thrown him onto another world. None knew the origin of this portal, nor where it had taken him, save perhaps the Necromancers, but they were just as shocked as everyone else.

Kara still couldn't believe the news. Everything, everything they had hoped for, had counted on that single man…and now he was gone, defeated my some foul misfortune. The portal was not Diablo's doing, the Oracle was sure of that. But, whatever it had been, it had dashed everyone's hopes. All the demons that he had slain had returned with his passing, and now everyone was back to square one. She was just so frustrated…If there was only something she could do…

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Solmo. Rashaban shook his head. The legendary Necromancer, who had risen from a mere student to one who could take on Diablo's minions, even his Greater Demons, and survive to tell the tale. He had saved at least two cites, and was on his way to saving a third, when he had been ripped from this reality. He had heard whispers from the Elders that Solmo had managed to contact them, and tell them that he was in a city known as Mordheim, before losing his contact. He was alive, but it would do this doomed world no good, since he was trapped elsewhere with little chance of returning.

Rashaban was still in shock from the news. Everything had been riding on Solmo's shoulders. And now, through no fault of his own, he could no longer carry out his duty and rid the world of Diablo. Life wasn't fair… If there were only something he could do…

**A/N Just FYI, Mordheim is like a miniature version of Warhammer, and I have a necromancer named Solmo in that game too, so that's my explanation of what happened to him ;) **


	2. Departures

The elders were decided. They would give Kara the test. If she passed, then she would be initiated into the Amazon ranks, but none of them were very optimistic about her chances. An elder would be on hand, just in case she did fail.

The test was simple enough. A small demon, some sort of imp or carver, would be captured, then released into Kara's room while she slept. It would not be a test of her combat abilities, those had already been proven. It would be a test of her attunement with her surroundings, of her intuition, of her senses.

The elder stole secretly to Kara's treetop room, using techniques of stealth that Kara hadn't even dreamt of. Kara had been brooding the whole day about her training, whether she was good enough for the test she kept hearing about, and was in a sound sleep. The elder moved with the utmost silence, and left the cage containing the imp on the floor.

The elder watched from the shadows as the imp, confused, looked around. It assumed that it had been placed in a room with a sleeping guard, and slowly worked free the bars of his poorly built cage. He gave an evil leer to the sleeping Kara, but decided that escape would be better than revenge this night, and silently stole towards the window. The elder shook her head silently. The imp had been quiet, but a true warrior must learn to sense all around her. Without making a sound, she nocked arrow to bow to finish the job. But, before she could fire, the imp suddenly staggered, as if its knee had given out.

Puzzled, the elder hesitated, and in that instant, she saw Kara leap from her bed, her sheet wrapped around her arm as a quick shield, grab her knife from the imp's leg, and hold it to its throat, while immobilizing its arms behind its back.

"How did you get past the guard?", Kara snarled

The imp merely gave her a look of pure hatred and struggled under her iron grip.

"Well, then, if you won't talk to me, then I'm sure the elders would like a word with you." As she was looking for something to tie it up with, the elder stepped out of the shadows.

"Nicely done, Kara."

Kara almost let her captive go from shock, but she managed to hold her composure.

"You have passed the test. Well done. Dispatch of it, and then we can talk."

Kara looked shocked. "Not in this room, I don't!"

She promptly wrenched both its arms, then took it to the window. She dropped the imp from thirty feet, and threw her knife on the way down, hitting its throat. She looked back into the room with a smile.

The elder shook her head. "A bit too flashy, but nicely done."

"Can we talk on the way down? I want to get my knife."

The elder nodded. She was concerned about Kara's flippant, naïve attitude, but impressed with how she had handled herself.

Lost in thought about Kara's attitude, she realized that her student was talking about setting a net of trip wire down before she slept, just like she had been taught, and that she didn't really need it, but it helped, and…

'Too overconfident', The Elder thought to herself. 'But, skilled, if nothing else.'

Once she had been told that her test was completed, and had been dismissed, Kara slumped against the wall and went over the test once again in her mind. She had been in a sound sleep, but something in the back of her mind, some instinct, had been trying to wake her up…

She vowed to pay more attention to that part of her mind. In any case, it had almost awakened her, when she had felt a small tug on one of her trip lines. Rather than getting up, she had reached out with her senses, and felt the foul presence of an imp, mere feet away from her. She had opened her eyes a crack, and pinpointed its location.

Going for the window. It could not be allowed to escape.

She had practiced for this: Throwing off the sheet would not only give a split second alert to the enemy, but it wasted too much energy. She merely lifted the sheet imperceptibly, gripped the well-worn knife under her pillow, and sliced the imp's tendon from twelve feet. Then, she had time to attack. Rather than throwing off the sheets, she grabbed them as a tangling shield, in case the imp tried to hit back. But, she had no trouble at all grabbing her knife from the imp's leg, and using her well practiced hand to hand to disable it.

Then, the elder had stepped in. Breaking its arms and cutting its throat on the way down had been partly to show off, and partly because she was so nervous and tense after her first real combat. With an evil grin, she imagined doing that again, only to things much worse than mere imps.

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The elders had decided. They would give Rashaban the test. He was improving quickly, and now was the time. They teleported a small, captured imp into the doorway of his room while he slept, and kept watch with a scrying spell, ready to strike the imp dead if things went wrong.

This imp had no thoughts of escape, only of murdering one of its captors. As it silently advanced towards the bed, it felt something grab its foot. Looking down, it saw a skeletal hand clutching its ankle. Snarling, he went to strike it away, but found that another hand had reached up from the ground to ensnare his arm! He wildly turned towards his would be victim, who was now rising lazily from the bed. He looked mildly surprised.

"Ah. So Diablo has sent an assassin, hmm? It would have to be small fry, to get past the magic wards." He looked around the room suspiciously, muttering to himself about distractions and backstabbing.

"Just you and me, then? Well, I'm sure you won't mind me returning your favor…" A knife flashed in his hand, from beneath his pillow.

The imp knew he was done for, and could only hurl insults: "Coward! Your kind speaks of balance, but all you care about is death!"

Slowly, Rashaban advanced towards it, as more skeletal arms sprang from the ground. "Death is but a part of life. Everybody already has the living part down pat. So, we study the lesser understood aspect, that of death." He spoke the well worn words as if a mantra, but he clearly was not reciting from a book.

The imp smiled viciously. "Then why not die yourself?"

Rashaban began circling the imp, the skeletal arms shifting so that the imp always faced him.

"Oh, I most certainly shall. All in good time, though. First, I have some demons to slay. Now, tell me how you get past the magical wards, and I'll…"

"You'll what? Let me go? End it quick?"

"I was going to say I won't make your body into my undead slave and lock your soul away forever inside this jar here, but those are also options."

"You don't have the power."

Rashaban gave a wicked smile, and one of the skeletal arms twisted the imp's arm back almost to the breaking point. "I don't?"

"My body you will have, but you aren't powerful enough to snatch my soul."

"I'm not, but I know some who are. In fact, let me go find them right now. I'm sure they'd love to have a conversation with you." He turned to leave.

"Never turn your back on an enemy!", hollered the helpless imp.

Rashaban whirled around, his knife flashed, and it embedded itself in the imp's twisted shoulder, breaking it completely off.

"I tire of your insolence, demon. Allow me, if you will," he spat, "to find some others who are more persuasive than I." As he turned to leave again, the imp's reply was choked back by its own severed arm around its throat. The elders looked at each other, shocked.

Rashaban had always been self assured, but he had never exhibited such cruelty. It was a demon, but still… in any case, despite his attitude, he was skilled, as a necromancer and an interrogator.

As Rashaban sprinted through the necropolis to the elder's quarters, he kept a cool composure on the outside, but his insides were trembling. He couldn't believe he had done that! He was sure he would have panicked! 'Go over it again…'. he thought.

He had sensed something out of place in his room and awoken from a sound sleep. The spirit warding he had set up had awoken him as well as his own innate sense of a negative life force. He pinpointed the intruder using only his senses, as he had been trained to do, and summoned a skeletal arm with all his will from the remains in his dirt floor. To his own amazement, he did it again. He knew he had to keep his cool and gain the upper hand, so he slowly got up from his bed, trying to look as bored as possible. He saw an imp, and immediately thought it was a set up, a distraction. He kept his senses open, and all the time he had interrogated the imp, his brain was working to the maximum.

He kept his senses on the lookout for another intruder, he had summoned an irregular skeleton, and he responded to the imp's blather, all at the same time. There was no room for thought, he had just acted. The broken arm was a nice touch, he didn't know where it had come from, but he was glad it had sprung to mind. He was also glad he had practiced throwing knives so much; he would have looked a damn fool if he had missed! He could still feel the imp struggling in his skeleton's grasp, and he was still trying to sense any other demons. He did not relax until he made it to the elder's cambers, found them waiting for him, and everything was explained.

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It wasn't long after Kara finished her test that she set out on her journey. After Solmo had defeated Andariel, the Amazons had not felt the need to send any new champions after Diablo, after they had sent so many before, and so many had died. When news of his untimely disappearance reached them, it wasn't long before a message from the Rogue Sisters of the Sightless Eye reached them, as well. At first, they were stuck. They had always looked upon that lesser Order as a sort of gang with bows, with no idea of what they were doing. If they ever mentioned the Rogues, it was always at the butt of a joke. In truth, it was mostly bluster, for the Amazons knew that however inferior the Rogues were, the Monastery they operated was a huge buffer between them and most threats from the East. And, their opinion of the Rogues aside, Andariel _was_ a real threat.

As much as they hated to associate their name with the Sisters, they felt obliged to do something. However, their own champions were all tied up on other missions. Stuck between sending an insulting reply or an empty promise of a champion they didn't have, in the end they decided to send Kara. She was a promising recruit, they told themselves, and since the Monastery had only been overrun by weaker demons, it would be a good training ground for her. They conveniently ignored the fact that almost every recruit they had sent out at Kara's level of skill had not returned They sent her on her way with the traditional knife and javelins, and turned their eyes towards more pressing matters, glad to forget about the Rogues and their problems. Soon, their eyes would be turned back to the recruit they had thrown away so easily.

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After the elders had finished explaining the test to Rashaban, and killed the imp, he sat in thought for a moment. "So, I have passed? I have mastered the basic skills of our Order?"

They nodded. One spoke up, "We were wondering, though-why did you act the way you did? We've never seen you act that way before."

Rashaban shrugged, and replied, "Can't let the enemy see your fear. If you're fighting, you fight harder, with more focus, more concentration, more strength. Push yourself to your limits, and the fear won't have any room. If you aren't fighting, you need some other way. I chose to gain control of the situation. Or," he finished with a slight smile, "at least act like it."

The elders laughed at that. "Very good, lad. Now that you've passed, you can-"

Rashaban cut him off, with a bow, "Thank you, I am honored. I will prepare immediately."

The elder looked slightly confused, and asked, "Wait-what do you mean?"

Rashaban replied, in a very casual tone, "Why, going after Diablo, of course. I didn't know Solmo very well while he was here, but I did see him at work. No offense meant towards him, I assure you, but I can outdo him. I know it." After a slight pause, he finished, "I'm going to pick up where he was dragged off."

With that, he bowed, and left the room. The elders were shocked, partly by the audacity of his refusing their next orders, but partly also by his drive. Not a one of them had suspected that Rashaban would do something like this.


	3. That's One Way To Kill The Den Of Evil

Kara made the journey quickly, rushing by the many peasant villages she saw along the way, eager to get on with her first real assignment. Thoughts and visions kept rushing through her head; how great it finally was to be on her own. How she was gonna do something big, something that would put her in the legends. How she was gonna sweep the evil from the land, all those horrible demons who stood against her, they would all fall. It was going to be the easiest thing in the world, she kept telling herself. She met no resistance whatsoever as she traveled towards the Monastery. As she got closer, she found some zombies stumbling across the landscape, and slew them with the utmost relish, with what could be considered only a _slight_ amount of overkill. She couldn't help but laugh when she had finished every one she could see. 'I never thought it was going to be _this_ easy!', she laughed to herself. She had barley even broken a sweat, and was ready for more. She remembered training that had been more difficult. Shaking her head at how easy this heroics thing was, she set off again, a huge smile plastered on her face.

As soon as she saw the Rogue camp, she broke into a sprint. The Rogue guards by the walls, Debi and Maeko, spotted her instantly, and made ready to fire, until they made out her silhouette, and her gait. They soon lowered their bows, and nodded to each other. Just another human. Kara stopped short at the gate, and asked, a bit out of breath and very excited, "Is this the Rogue Encampment?"

They nodded, slightly taken aback by her cheerful attitude. "Can one of you tell me where I can find Kayasha, then?"

Sharing a glance, the two Rogues pointed towards the back of the camp. "She'll be the one in chainmail," Debi offered.

Kara nodded quickly. "Thank you very much!" Then, she was off.

The guards looked at each other once more, and just shrugged. "Maybe she's a messenger with good news," Debi suggested.

Maeko shook her head, "With those clothes, and carrying javelins? Not likely. Remember how Kayasha sent that message to the Amazons? It looks like they just stuck us with some new recruit."

Debi looked shocked, then scowled back in Kara's direction, "Why...How dare they! Those useless, stuck up-"

Maeko cut her off with a wave of her hand. "The Amazons have _always_ been stuck up. Hiding behind us while they claim they're so much better. They're all talk." She sighed. "I don't think the new one," here she jerked her head in Kara's direction, "Knows why she's here, though, so take it easy on her. Chances are, she won't last anyway. No point in making things worse for her. Maybe if she's lucky, or good, she'll make the cut."

Debi nodded, then went back to watching the empty plains.

Kara rushed about, trying to find Kayasha. She saw her talking to some other Rogues, and waited politely until she was finished. She didn't want to make a bad first impression, after all. After the Rogues had gone, Kara politely approached her. "Umm, excuse me, are you Kayasha?"

Kayasha whirled around with a glare, took in her Amazon clothing, and relaxed. "Yes, yes, of course. Thank you for coming so quickly. I see the Amazons have sent an official messenger. That's good."

Kara was a bit confused by the term 'messenger,' but tried not to give it away. Instead, she reached into her pouch for the official looking scroll she had been given and handed it to Kayasha. Kayasha accepted it gratefully, with a muttered, "Finally, we can get some real help from somebody." As she read the scroll, though, her expression shifted from one of relief to one of outrage. Her eyes narrowed, and her breathing picked up, her face contorting into a most unpleasant expression. "What?! How-" She seemed to steel herself for a long, long moment. Then, she looked at Kara. "Why are you here?" was her blunt question, her tone dripping acid.

Kara had no idea what the Elders had put on the scroll to make Kayasha so angry, but she didn't have time to worry about it. She snapped to attention, thumped the end of her javelin on the ground and said, "I have been sent to help you eradicate the demon menace from your Monastery, in whatever way I can."

Kayasha was torn between tearing into the hapless new arrival, and pitying her. "I assume this is your first assignment?" she said, already knowing the answer.

Kara nodded emphatically. "It is. I won't let you down."

Kayasha pushed herself to wait just a little longer before the breaking point, and asked, in a voice of ice, "Do you know why you're here?"

Kara repeated, a bit confused, "I'm here to help you get rid of the demons."

Kayasha shook her head, and doused her anger. There was no point in exploding at this young girl. However, she did have to make something clear.

"No. You are here because of politics. I asked for the Amazons to send me a seasoned veteran to help me break the demons' hold on the Monastery. In exchange, I offered them rights to any and all treasures they wished to take. They couldn't care less about what happens to us, but they had to be diplomatic about it, so, they sent me a green recruit, instead of a flat refusal."

Kara looked shocked, "No, no that can't be right, you must be mistaken; all of our real champions are out on missions right now…"

"Yes, I'm sure they are. I'm sure that every single one of those missions is extremely important. I'm sure that each of your champions is doing something that will save thousands of lives."

At Kara's puzzled expression, she continued, "How many peasants do you think live beyond this camp? How many did you pass on your way here? Thousands, scattered around. The only defense they have left is us. But, it seems like the Amazons couldn't care less about them, either."

Kara's gaze fell to the ground. 'This is impossible.' she told herself. 'There must be some mistake somewhere, I…they threw me away? Just like that?'

Kayasha sighed, and, seeing the look on Kara's face said, "Hey."

Kara looked back up.

"I didn't mean to be so harsh, but you had to know."

Kara nodded glumly.

"Listen, I assume they gave you some basic training?"

Again, she nodded.

"If you want to make yourself useful, and prove us all wrong about you, I'll give you the chance."

Kara's eyes brightened.

"First, get settled in here. I'll see to it that you get a tent, and a bow. Then, you hone your skills a bit on the monsters around here, just to sharpen up after training. When you're ready, I'll have a job for you."

Kara's eyes were watering. A part of her still just couldn't believe that her elders, her teachers, the ones she had looked up to for so long, had thrown her away so easily, but on the other hand, here was somebody who was willing to give her a chance. Despite herself, Kara ran up and hugged Kayasha, much to her amusement.

"I won't let you down." she said, almost in tears from how her first mission was already turning out. "I promise."

Kayasha gave her a reassuring pat on the back, like she was a child. "I'm sure you won't. Just you do your best. Go talk to the blacksmith, Charsi, and tell her I said to give you a bow."

Kayasha looked as she ran off, then stopped a passing Rogue, and instructed her to give the poor Amazon a tent and a chest.

Then as she turned away, she spat on the ground, "Damn you Amazons!" she muttered under her breath. "If you want to reject me, then go ahead, but do you care so little for your own?" With that, she stalked away.

The next day, Kara stood at the mouth of the cave Kayasha had directed her too, determined to drive out the monsters preparing for a strike. Gripping her javelins in one hand, and a torch in the other, she slipped forward resolutely.

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Rashaban stalked slowly across the trail, pausing frequently to stop and sit by the road, studying the magical tomes he had brought with him, and reflect upon his current circumstance. The Elders had been none too happy with his refusal to obey their next orders, but they didn't seem all that disappointed, either. This was, after all, about the same point Solmo had been at when he left. Most of them were fairly skeptical about his grandiose claim of being able to match Solmo's skill, but they had at least seen fit to outfit him with a fair wand, tomes, a dagger with the right grooves to hold a proper poison, and most importantly, a good, solid, heavy cloak to hide his appearance from the peasants. He saw many villages on his way to the Rogue Camp, the same place Solmo had chosen to start his quest, but he had passed them all by. He much preferred his own company to the suspicious looks of peasants and the possibility of theft or worse.

While he had been adamant to set out, he was in no hurry once he got on the road. He was afraid the Elders would tie him down with lowly responsibilities and pointless tasks, when there were more important things to be done. Now that he had beaten them to the punch, he was content to catch up on the studying he otherwise would have done, and take it slow. He only had one shot at this, and he didn't want undue haste to mess anything up.

He ran across a handful of zombies, but simply passed them by. Even the smallest of peasant towns had some sort of ragged militia, and in these small numbers, zombies were nothing they couldn't handle. He noted that several of them were already dead, then saw something odd-a broken javelin stuck in one's back. Peasants were not renowned for their use of javelins. Shrugging, he picked up his pace, walking around a particularly diseased looking zombie as it staggered onto the path. He had no desire to have someone witness his powers.

As he approached the Rogue camp, Debi and Maeko were a bit suspicious. All they saw was a slow-moving black cloak. As he came within earshot, he heard a voice shout, "Who goes there?"

Rashaban stopped in his tracks, and simply threw back his hood. "No demon, I assure you!" he called back.

They motioned for him to come closer. "What business do you have here?" Maeko asked him.

In answer, Rashaban undid the clasp at his neck and swept his heavy cloak over one arm.

Both of the Rogues took a step back, and lowered their bows in awe. "Another Necromancer…" Debi gasped. They had not forgotten what Solmo had done for them, and the sight of the rib cage-style armor instantly gave away the fact that another of his kind had come.

Rashaban simply bowed at their reaction. "I'm not sure I deserve the honor, but thank you, none the less. I am not Solmo, but I will do my best to live up to what he accomplished. If I might know where I could find Kayasha?"

Debi was still frozen, so Maeko spoke up, "I will take you to her. Come with me." She wasn't quite sure what to make of this new arrival, but she did know one thing; Solmo had saved them, and this one was from the same place. That was good enough for her. She showed him into Kayasha's tent.

When Rashaban came before Kayasha, he bowed. "I am honored to be here, among your people, fighting for your cause." He intoned.

Kayasha cut him off. "Save it. Why are you here?"

Rashaban seemed slightly taken aback by that reaction. "Excuse me?"

"The Amazons just threw my request for help right back in my face with a new recruit. Don't tell me the Necromancers have done the same thing."

Rashaban shook his head. "I'm afraid there's been a mistake somewhere. We never received a request for aid from you."

Kayasha cursed. "So, the messenger didn't get through…no wonder we never heard from him."

"I'm sorry if the Amazons won't help." Rashaban continued, "But there was no request to us."

Kayasha sighed, and waved the issue away with her hand. "Quite all right, I assure you. Apologies for being so rude, I just thought I was getting blown off twice."

"I see. I'm not here because of a request for aid; I'm here to see if I've got what it takes to follow in Solmo's footsteps."

Kayasha looked surprised. "What kind of experience do you have?"

Here, Rashaban laughed. It was a haughty, almost arrogant laugh, a laugh that said his obvious inexperience didn't matter, because he would overcome it, just like everything else, as simple as that. But, if Kayasha listened closely enough, she thought she heard something else behind the arrogance, though she couldn't tell quite what it was.

"Not much, I admit. If I needed aid and got me, I'd be a little put off, too. But, I've got a good handle on my magic, and a trick or two up my sleeve. I don't think you'll be seeing the last of me around here for a while."

Kayasha couldn't help but smile faintly. 'At least this one knows where he stands,' she thought.

"All right, then. I'll see to it that you get a tent and a chest. Why don't you get settled here and-oh, actually, I have a better idea. How ready are you for combat?"

Rashaban shrugged. "About as ready as I'll ever be. I'm fine."

"Perfect. I just sent that Amazon recruit over to clear out a cave of demons that's been getting ready for an assault on our camp."

Rashaban nodded, and something clicked in his head. 'Amazon,' he thought. 'That's who killed those zombies.'

"I'd be glad to go and help." he said out loud. "If you give me some direc-"he stopped in mid sentence, and his ears picked up a faint sound. "What was that?"

Kayasha stopped and listened, as well. "I don't know. Let's go find out, shall we?"

They both stepped out of the tent, and heard the noise. A bit louder, especially in the open air, it sounded almost like a shout or scream, from a distance. About half the camp had noticed, too, and were walking towards the Encampment's single gate.

When they arrived, they all scanned the rolling plains, searching for the source. It sounded again, this time louder. As they all looked in its direction, they saw something small crest a rise far in the distance. Followed closely by what looked like a sea of red, swarming down after it.

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Kara ran. Looking back over her shoulder at the hundred or so midget demons that had decided to follow her out of the cave, she ran faster. "HEEEEEELLLP!!!!" She screamed again as she rushed away from the tide of red minions following her. She looked ahead and saw that the camp was close, and that a crowd was gathering around the gate. She would have breathed a sigh of relief if she hadn't been running for her life. Soon, she knew, a cloud of arrows would fill the sky, and it would all be over.

Rashaban raised an eyebrow as he looked quizzically at Kayasha. "Who is that?"

Kayasha hung her head, and let out a frustrated sigh. "That.", she replied, "Is our new Amazon recruit."

Rashaban looked back out towards the steadily advancing scene with a laugh. "You don't say."

Then, a smile took shape on Rashaban's face. An evil smile. A fiendish smile. A smile that would have set the cravers running if they had seen it.

Rashaban leaned closer to Kayasha and said, "Look, I'm usually not one for messing with new recruits, being one myself, but I'd like to make an exception this time. May I?"

Kayasha shot him a look, then chuckled a bit. "Is it going to be dangerous?"

"Not very."

"Then go ahead."

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'Yup.' Kara thought. She glanced back at the slavering Devilkin. 'Any minute now, they're going to shoot…any minute now…any minute…'

The gate started to close.

Kara's eyes bulged out. "Why, you…HEY!!! HELP!!!! OPEN UP!!!!!"

The gate started moving faster.

As Kara reached the gate, it slammed shut with grim finality. She rushed up and pounded on it, yelling ,"Let me in! I'm gonna get killed!"

Kara stared pleadingly at the gate, no sounds coming from behind it. They were just going to leave her out here…no way…

As she turned around to face the horde, she suddenly lost her balance, and, as she tried to regain it, she found that her legs were trapped in a suddenly risen patch of ground. Totally uncomprehending, she didn't even have time to think before she was tossed over the wall. Acting on instinct, she broke her fall, to see a camp full of snickering Rogues looking at her. Still dumbfounded, she watched as they put their bows to hundred hidden arrow slits, and open fire. It was all over in five minutes.

Kara, still sitting on the ground from her fall, and completely confused, finally blurted, "Somebody wanna tell me what just happened?!"

A man in a cloak walked forward from the laughing ranks of Rogues. "_You_ apparently dragged an entire cave full of demons right towards the camp, that's what happened."

Kara shook her head quickly, "No, I mean the rock- hey, who are you, anyway?"

The figure bowed with a snicker, and stuck out his hand, "Rashaban, Necromancer and demon hunter, at your service."

"Are you the one who tossed me over the wall?" Kara glared at him, as she took his hand and got up.

He nodded. "Would you rather I hadn't?"

"I'd _rather_ you would have left the gate open for me!"

"I know, but it was more fun that way." A slight smile crossed his face. At Kara's death glare, he continued, "Just an old prank somebody pulled on me once. Everyone else seemed to like it," he snickered, indicated the laughing Rogues. He shrugged, "Just a joke."

Kara took his meaning, but she was still shaken up, and wasn't about to let it go so easily. She didn't appreciate being tossed around for amusement.

"Well, next time you decide to pull some prank, you'd better watch your back." she snarled.

Several Rogues gathered around at those words, looking amused. A few were looking forward to a skirmish between the new arrivals, though no one had any clear favorite.

Before Rashaban could respond, Kayasha walked up to them, acting oblivious to the quickly escalating probability of a duel.

"Thanks, you two. Morale's been pretty low around here lately, and a stunt like this is just what we needed." Ignoring their confused looks, she continued, with a snicker, "It doesn't rain Amazons every day. We could use that kind of weather." As the crowd dispersed, the possibility of a fight gone, Kayasha tossed them a few gold pieces as an afterthought, to make sure Kara was mollified, and walked away. '_This_ is what happens when you lock people up training for their whole lives.' she thought to herself with a mental shake of her head. 'A couple of children.'

The two looked at each other, with expressions halfway between a glare and a shrug.

"Well, what's your name, anyway?", Rashaban asked, not sure whether he should apologize or walk away.

"Kara.", came the monotone reply.

"Alright, well. Nice of you to drop in, Kara."

Kara glared daggers at him, and reached for her bow, but found that she had dropped it. Forgetting all about the impertinent new arrival, she spun around, and opened the gate. It was nowhere in sight. She cursed.

"Looking for something?"

"I dropped my bow back there. And my javelins."

Rashaban weighed his options. Diplomatic apology, or smart remark? Seeing that it was getting dark, he decided to mix them. He rolled his eyes, and sighed, "You make a poor catapult round _and _weapon rack." as he walked out the gate.

"Where are you off to, wise guy?", Kara spat back.

He turned around. "To find your things, of course. I never throw people through the air without paying them back. Coming?"

Kara raised an eyebrow at his offer, but followed him out anyway, grabbing two torches on the way.

Maeko sighed. "No fight apparently. Just the opposite, in fact."

"Huh?" asked Debi.

"You're too naïve," was the reply. Just then, she spotted something lying on the ground. And gave a sly smile.


	4. All Clear

It didn't take them long to get back to the Den of Evil. "Are you sure you got the _whole _cave to chase you? You may have missed a few." Rashaban chuckled.

"How'd you like a dirk in the back?"

"How'd you like a bow on yours? Oh, wait, I guess you wouldn't, seeing as you dropped it."

"Brilliant comeback."

"Hey, even a genius like me can't come up with winners _every_ time. Just whenever my companions act like morons. Or catapult rounds."

Kara gave up with a glare.

Kara had indeed, as Rashaban pointed out several more times, taken most of the cave with her.

"What's that?", Kara asked, as they saw something red in the corner. They walked closer, and when they saw it, Kara almost threw up. It was a dead rogue, but the body was mutilated so horribly that it was almost beyond recognition. Rashaban grimaced when he saw it at first, but then he got down gave her a quick ritual, then started rifling through her pockets, looking for anything of value.

"What are you doing?!" Kara yelped, though she knew the answer.

"Searching the body." Rashaban said with a shrug.

"Isn't that a little…" Kara searched for words.

"Disrespectful? I should think she would rather us have anything we can find, instead of leaving it for the demons."

"Shouldn't we…bury her?"

"Until Andariel is gone, it will make no difference. She'll probably be a skeleton warrior tomorrow."

"Wait, you…you're a necromancer! Can't you put a spell on her body or something, so Andariel can't use it?"

Rashaban shrugged, and got up. The corpse got up with him, its flesh sloughing off to the ground.

He tossed her a few coppers.

Kara let them fall to the ground. "I don't want them."

Rashaban shrugged. "If you wish. But, if each of those coppers buys one arrow that kills one demon, it would be put to better use than sitting on a corpse."

He turned and continued back into the tunnels. Kara's face was disgusted as she picked up the coins. 'Not what I was expecting when I signed up,' she thought.

Meeting no resistance, they continued until they heard low moans, and Rashaban put up his hand to stop her. "Zombies.", he whispered.

"I know," she whispered back. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious, because obviously I'm too brain dead to know for myself!"

"Obviously."

Kara glared, but hung back while Rashaban sent in his skeleton. Almost as an afterthought, he made another stone golem, and sent that in as well. They sat in the pool of torchlight, listening to the sounds of the combat.

"Wish I had my bow." growled Kara.

"Ah. So you could shoot blindly into the dark?"

Kara haughtily replied. "Amazons have an _Inner Sight_. A sixth sense, that allows us to sense our enemies, even when we cannot see them."

"If that why you were looking up ahead, when our enemies are to the left?"

"Well…I…still need some practice…" Kara finished lamely.

"Obviously."

Kara was about to snap back, but Rashaban suddenly tilted his head. "We've got trouble."

"What?"

"A zombie champion. Stronger and tougher."

"How do you know?"

"My minions can see in the dark." he winced. "And, now they're gone."

"Well, make some more!"

"I used up all my power on the golem."

He put away his wand, and drew out a dagger.

"This isn't going to be easy. It'll be like fighting ten at once."

It wasn't long before a sickly blue light played over the cave, and a lone zombie came into view.

"I'll flank him," Rashaban whispered. "You take the front."

"Me?! Why Me?!"

"You're one of the legendary amazons! Surely your combat prowess exceeds that of a lowly mage such as myself."

Kara shook her head "I have a better idea. Just play along-"

Corpsefire saw the two intruders, and moved to intercept. They seemed to be arguing among themselves. Hoping to catch them unprepared, he ran forwards in great, distance eating strides, hoping to catch them totally off guard while they were prepared for a normal zombie's staggering. They both backed away in terror, horrified looks on their faces. As they turned to run, one of them punched the other in the stomach and swept out its feet, dropping its companion to the ground. Leaving its torch, the coward sprinted for the exit. Corpsefire noted that leaving comrades as bait was a tactic worthy of demons, then moved in to finish off the betrayed intruder. Still gasping for air, the bait had no chance to run. Corpsefire had its hand inches from its helpless victim's throat, when it felt a blade slide through its own neck. And, a second later, the bait's dagger took it in the head. It moaned one last time before the magic binding it together failed, and it fell apart.

"Good plan." Rashaban conceded as he tossed the corpse off of him. "Zombies are pretty easy to fool. But, was it really necessary to put that much follow-through into that punch?"

Kara shrugged. "I know. But it was more fun that way."

Recognizing his own words from earlier, Rashaban simply said, "Even?"

"Even."

They looted the corpse, then headed back to town.

\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

It was well into the night by the time they got back.

As they approached, Debi came up to them. "Looking for these?"

It was Kara's bow and the sheath of javelins. "Yes! Where did you find them?"

"They flew off your back during your flight.", she snickered.

Rashaban snarled, "Well, why didn't you say something?! Would have saved a lot of trouble!"

Maeko spoke up this time, "We wanted to see how long it would take you to figure it out!" At a glare from both of them, she continued, barely holding back laugher, "About four hours. What? It's just a joke."

Kara snatched her weapons back as most of the nearby Rogues burst out laughing, and they quickly stalked off to go and find Kayasha.

"Rashaban and cannonball reporting!", he said as they entered the tent.

Kara gave him a glare.

"Reporting for what? It's almost midnight."

"We've cleared out the last of the gathering forces. They were rallying around a zombie champion."

Kayasha looked blank for a moment, and then said, "Oh, right! They told me about their little joke. How long did it take?"

Rashaban smacked his face. "I didn't expect _you_ to be in on it. About four hours."

Kayasha laughed. "Again, I must thank you. It's not easy running the camp these days, and giving them something to laugh about has helped me more than you know."

They both bowed a bit, not quite sure how to respond.

"Rashaban, I've seen to your tent and chest. Meet me tomorrow, both of you, I have some raids for you to go on."

They bowed, and left.

"Well, that could have been a worse first day." Rashaban muttered to himself.

To Kara, he simply said, "I'll see you."

"And you."

In his tent, Rashaban reflected on his situation. Things might have gone smoother if he hadn't pulled his little joke, but things had worked out all the same. He shrugged to himself and went to sleep. He knew that he hadn't even started yet.

Kara was also going over her situation. She had bungled everything by alerting the entire cave and dragging them back to the camp. The Rogues had been able to handle that rabble easily enough, but she knew her enemies wouldn't all be like that. It had all been because she had been too sloppy with her stealth in the first place. She had managed well enough to sneak by the distracted zombie champion, but she just wasn't paying close enough attention to her actions. She went to sleep troubled, knowing that this was nothing like her training, and wondering if she should have even come at all.


	5. Less Talking More Stabbing

The next morning, Kara was up early, to see if there was anything she could possibly do to rectify her mistake at the cave. Kayasha laughed at her, and told her to not worry about such trivial blunders. "New recruits always make them," Kayasha assured her.

Kara still looked crestfallen, so she remarked, "Look, just go on some raids to thin out the ranks. You'll run into Flavie out there; she's very dedicated, and she keeps the more powerful monsters out of the surrounding area. When she says you're ready for the monsters past her, then come back here. Kara nodded, bowed, and ran off.

Rashaban woke up quite bit later. As he went in to report, Kayasha snorted at him. "Look who decided to get up."

Rashaban shrugged, "Wizards need their sleep. Now, anything I can do for you?"

"I already sent Kara out to cut her teeth on the lesser monsters around the camp. She obviously needs it, and it looks like it wouldn't hurt you, either."

Rashaban conceded the point.

"Don't go past Flavie; she's the guard out there. When she says you're ready for more powerful opponents, it'll most likely be nightfall, so head back."

Rashaban bowed, and left.

As Kara fought through zombies, she tried to concentrate on her training, and nothing else. But, it was no use; she couldn't pull off any complicated moves on zombies that didn't react the way they were supposed to, and just flailed numbly when she broke they arms or tried to use pressure points. She just ended up stabbing them with her javelin, or working on her aim from a distance.

When she ran into some quill rats, she tried her best to focus on a skill she had never been able to get right; use Inner Sight to see when and where they were going to fire, then use that knowledge to sidestep ahead of time. She barely caught the rat's motion, but when she tried to sidestep, it was no use, and she just ended up with several quills burrowing into her. They were only light wounds, but after several failed attempts at mastering the skill, she gave up and just shot them with her bow. She sighed once she had finished them off. There was nothing here that presented any challenge; these were no better than the monsters she had faced in training. She wasn't building up any more skills. Frustrated, she stalked onwards.

Rashaban was similarly frustrated. The zombies were no match for his skeletons, and neither were the worthless rats. He had been hesitant to call forth his golem again, and he knew that was his real weakness. He had used up all of his power to summon it, and that left him extremely vulnerable if it was ever defeated. The solution was simple; he needed more power. And, he could only get that by casting more spells, preferably ones that ended demons along with them. Sighing, he approached another pack of rats. He tried using his wand to cast a Teeth of the Dragon spell at them, but even that drained his powers far too much. He grimaced; he was getting nowhere. Mentally ordering his minions forwards, he remembered the words of his teacher, 'Think of it like physical exercise. The more you cast spells, the more power you have in reserve, and the stronger you become.'

He cast Teeth at the rats until he was completely drained, then waited while his minions finished them off. He sat and rested for a while to replenish his strength. He didn't feel any different, but he supposed that he shouldn't expect any instant results.

With a sigh, he walked on.

Kara soon came to a narrow pass in the overgrown stone walls that crisscrossed the landscape. As she was about to walk through, a voice from a nearby tree called, "Halt!"

Kara looked up in surprise and chagrin. She knew from the voice that it must be Flavie, but the instant she heard it, she knew she had failed to take in her surroundings once more. If she had been paying enough attention, she knew that she would have spotted Flavie long ago. 'One more screw-up.', she thought. She responded, with a bit of a forced laugh, "Don't scare me like that! Shouldn't you be out in the open?"

Flavie poked her head out from a particularly leafy part of the tree. "And be a sitting duck for those demons? Not a chance."

Kara laughed. "Well, I've been killing these zombies and Quill Rats for a while, and they're not much of a challenge. There's supposed to be worse up ahead. I'm gonna give it a try."

Flavie looked skeptical. "I don't know…why don't you see how you do against some more of the same?"

Kara frowned as she raised her voice, "Because I've _been_ doing that for hours, and I just cut through them like nothing! I've had tougher training exercises than them! This is pointless!"

Flavie looked skeptical, then said, "Just a reminder, try not to yell too much out here."

"Why not?" Kara asked in a lower tone.

Flavie pointed her bow out past Kara, farther out into the plains "Because you just got your wish."

Kara turned, not quite knowing what to expect, and saw a pack of hideous goatmen, wielding huge glaives, charging towards them. They were perhaps a quarter mile away.

"Moon clan." Flavie stated simply. "Hope you're a good shot." With that, she fitted an arrow, and waited for them to come within range.

Kara smirked. 'Hope I'm a good shot, eh? I'll show you!', she thought as she unslung the bow from her back. The one the Rogues had given her wasn't quite as good as the one she had used back home, she noted as she fitted an arrow to the string. 'And they didn't even give me bow.', she thought. Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she drew back the string and sighted, determined not to screw this up.

There were twelve of them, she could see distinctly. "I've got the one on the right", Kara muttered. They fired.

Kara's arrow struck her target in the chest, but it kept coming. Flavie's arrow, however, caught on fire the second it left the bow, burning a hole in its mark. Her target stayed down, but their charge continued unabated.

Kara gaped, and practically squawked, "_Fire arrows?!_ They told us you couldn't do that!"

Flavie simply replied, "They told us you Amazons could. It doesn't matter right now, you're a good shot, so just keep it up."

Kara nodded, pushed her shock to the back of her mind, and fit another arrow to her bow, aiming for the same target.

As Rashaban wandered the plains in search of more easy prey, he heard shouts off in the distance. Shouts that seemed disturbingly familiar. Chuckling to himself, he wondered what the Amazon had chasing her this time. He turned towards the sound and picked up his pace, his cloak flowing out behind him, and his skeletal minions in tow.

The beastmen were now only about sixty yards away, their pace unflagging despite their casualties. Flavie and Kara had managed to take out about half of them, but the rest weren't even wounded.

"I suggest you run." Flavie interjected.

Kara quickly slung her bow back over her back, and grabbed at a javelin. "Not quite yet", she replied.

They were close enough, she knew. This was the one skill she _had_ been able to get right. Closing her eyes, she hefted a javelin, then mentally drew the lightning elements from the air itself into the spear. She knew it was a weak buildup, but it would work. She snapped her eyes open and the javelin forwards. It sliced through the air with unnatural speed, quickly coming to rest in one of the beastmen. Crackling with lightning, her target fell. That left seven.

"Impressive", Flavie noted from her perch. "Now you can run."

Kara decided to take her advice, backing away slowly while throwing another lighting-charged javelin. It took down one more. Then, she ran.

Rashaban couldn't help but laugh when he walked over the top of a rise to see Kara running away from a handful of beastmen. They looked menacing, though, and even as he caught sight of arrows being fired from a nearby tree, he knew that Kara was in trouble. He called out, "This way!!", and mentally ordered his minions to attack.

Kara saw Rashaban top the rise. Perfect timing, as she was running out of Flavie's range. Even before he yelled out, she had changed direction. As his skeleton warriors charged past her, she whipped around with a javelin in hand, ready to help them. She only got off two throws before the skeletons fell before the huge glaives of the beastmen, chopping through rust-forged weapons and bone alike with little difficulty. She turned and ran.

Rashaban scowled as his skeletons fell before the beastmen. One was down, leaving only five, but five to two odds were pretty bad. He saw Flavie jump down from the tree and run to within shooting range. Five to three was a little better. Now, just a little something to tip the odds over. He didn't want to use his trump card, but there was no point holding out now. With a wave of his hand, he called up his golem, sending it forwards to attack.

As Kara saw the golem come towards them, she knew the fight was back in their hands. She split off to the side, allowing the golem to crash into the ranks behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that a beastman had split off from the main force to follow her.

Taking a deep breath, she spun to face him, ready for anything. He brought his glaive around in a wicked side slash, but she jumped aside, and countered with a thrust to the face while he was off balance. She missed its head, but as she recovered, she dragged the tip of her javelin across its neck, drawing blood. Enraged, the beastman swung downwards, and Kara held her javelin over her head with both hands. It stopped the impact, but snapped the javelin in half. Kara knew that was going to happen, and was already moving by the time her weapon had snapped. With a piece in each hand, she ducked around its weapon, and jabbed the javelin's head into its stomach. Without missing a beat, she grabbed the second half of her weapon with a hand on each end, slipping one hand under the beastman's arm, and twisted, using the bar for leverage. As his arm broke, she jammed the bar up into its open mouth, and jumped back, reaching for another javelin. With a broken arm and a javelin head in its stomach, the beastman toppled over. The entire fight had taken about fifteen seconds.

Rashaban looked on as his golem fought a losing battle from four sides. He wanted to use one of his curses, but his magic had been drained completely. One of the beastmen took a bad hit on the head and went down, but Rashaban could feel that the golem had taken too many hits from the heavy glaives. One of the beastmen dodged a two-fisted attack by the golem, and struck back, severing an arm. Rashaban grimaced, and pulled out a vial of poison, and his dagger. This was going to get ugly.

Unfortunately, Kara noticed that she was out of javelins. Looking in her quiver, she also noticed that she was low on arrows. She glanced at the rest of the beastmen, and saw that they had hacked through Rashaban's golem, and were heading straight for him. She quickly unslung her bow and took down one that looked wounded. A fire arrow from Flavie took the same one in the back. By then, the remaining ones had reached Rashaban, and they didn't look wounded at all. Kara dropped her bow and charged in, drawing out her dirk. For all his spellcasting, she didn't think Rashaban knew which end of a knife was the sharp one, and it would only take one hit from those glaives to do some real damage. She was about to be proven wrong.

Rashaban faced the charge grimly, words from his combat teacher running through his head. 'A Necromancer can use any weapon. In fact, a friend of Solmo's was once known to use a bardiche. But I only teach the use of daggers.'

The beastmen advanced closer as Rashaban's memory played out.

'Swords take too much time to really master. Pole arms, flails and axes are limited to those who have the strength. Bows, likewise, take too much strength and practice.' Here the teacher had flourished a dagger. 'But the dagger is perfect for us. Simple. Easy to conceal. Deadly.'

Rashaban had raised his hand here.

'Yes?'

'And, what about maces?'

His teacher had grinned a wicked grin. 'I'm glad you asked. I eschew maces. Anyone will use a blunt object as a club in a desperate situation, but the willful manufacture of a mace is only undertaken for one of two reasons. First, to cave in plate armor. A dagger can do the job just as well, by slipping into the chinks in the armor. And, second.' Here he had paused.

The beastmen were almost upon him now.

'And secondly, they deliver blunt blows, not necessarily killing a human opponent, but disabling a target if need be. In essence, so that self-righteous paladins can decide who lives and who dies.' This had elicited a laugh from the gathered apprentices. 'We, however, are not paladins. If we don't want to fight, we have curses to drive away the enemy. If we want information, we can kill first and ask questions to the spirit later. But, when we need to kill, there is no question of whether our opponent will die or simply be knocked out. But, the number one reason that I never use maces is that they-'

The beastman was upon him, its glaive held out like a spear as it charged.

'-cannot-'

Rashaban slid around the charging spear like a serpent.

'-do-'

The beastman had expected the dodge, and tried to swipe its deadly blade to the side, but its target was long gone.

"-this.", Rashaban finished aloud.

He was standing behind the beastman, which now had a gaping wound in its throat, a punctured lung, and a break in its spine, where the dagger still quivered, buried to the hilt.

Rashaban glared evilly at the remaining beastman, daring it to come at him, even though he was unarmed. In truth, Rashaban had no idea how to fight without a knife. But, he was exceedingly good at bluffing, and this paid off, when the demon's hesitation cost it two arrows in the back. Kara and Flavie rushed over.

"Are you all right?", Kara called.

Rashaban nodded. He bent down and retrieved his dagger as they approached.

"Nice work." Kara commented. "I didn't think you had it in you."

Rashaban shrugged. "I'm not defenseless, but don't expect that against multiple opponents. What I need is a way to shoot while my minions keep them distracted."

Kara held out her bow in suggestion.

Rashaban shook his head, "I'm not strong enough to draw it."

Kara gave him a look, and Rashaban rolled his eye. "Yes, yes I admit it. A girl is stronger than me. Let's see how well _you_ draw a bow when you've been cooped up your whole life studying magic."

Flavie looked them over. "One thing you both lack," she noted patiently, as if she were instructing children, "Is a second line of defense. I doubt either of you could handle two weapons at once, but a shield might be useful."

Rashaban didn't much care for her tone, but couldn't argue with her words. Kara missed the tone entirely. "Really? That's not a bad idea. Come to think of it, they showed me how to use bucklers, but didn't give me one of those, either…"

Flavie nodded sagely. "One other thing you lack is the knowledge that you must never lose your concentration or awareness while outside of a safe area."

The looked confused. "What?", they said together.

Flavie pointed her bow, and they all saw about twenty more Moon Clan, heading their way in the fading light of the setting sun. "You both have shown considerable progress this day, however, it will be prudent to vacate the area."

They both nodded quickly, and they all took off running.


	6. Less Stabbing More Talking

It had gotten dark by the time they made it back to the camp, but Kayasha seemed impressed. "Good job, all of you. You can go on some more raids tomorrow; you'll be getting the better of those beastmen in no time."

They all bowed, and left her tent. "I'll be heading back out.", said Flavie.

"What? Do you sleep out there?", Rashaban asked

"Usually. Once you get the hang of it, dozing for a few minutes all through the night works."

Kara nodded, she knew of Amazon guards who did the same thing. Rashaban gave Flavie an odd look that was somewhere between respectful and insulting, but said nothing more as she walked away.

Kara said, "I think I'll go and see Charsi."

"Who?"

"The blacksmith. She's very nice."

'She?' Rashaban thought as Kara split off. 'Am I the only guy here?' Shaking his head, Rashaban walked over to the fire in the growing gloom. Most men would have had that thought and said, "Heaven on earth!", but Rashaban had no illusions about how much charm he had. He knew some others who would have been intimidated, but, unlike them, he wasn't into domination.

So, that left him feeling mostly uncomfortable, and out of his element.

He sat down and stared into the flames for a moment, thinking about the battle. He wasn't there long before someone pulled up a log next to him, and stuck out his hand,

"Hey there. Name's Warriv. Pleased to meet you."

"Rashaban", he replied simply, taking his hand and shaking it, and thinking 'Finally!'.

"What brings you here?"

"Oh, you know how it is, a Necromancer almost kills Diablo, then decides to go on vacation. If some other Necromancer shows up and finishes the job, nobody will know the difference. And, that means _I_ get to keep all the fame and fortune."

Warriv laughed. "A Necromancer with a sense of humor…who knew?"

Rashaban chuckled along with him. "All jokes aside, though, I have no idea what happened to Solmo, I just know it wasn't his fault, and it wasn't Diablo's. So, I'm going to finish the job."

Warriv nodded. "A noble goal."

"There, I said it. Now, what's your story?"

"Me? Oh, I just run a humble caravan. The Monastery is one of my stops. And since it's overrun with demons at the moment, I just stopped here."

Rashaban paused, thought the answer over for a second, and then replied, "It's awfully brave of a caravan driver to stay where its dangerous, and nobody has much money to pay or wares to trade."

Warriv rolled his eyes, and cursed lightheartedly. "Well, its no secret from the rest of the camp, so there's no reason you shouldn't know. Kayasha and I have some…history."

Rashaban looked a bit surprised. "Ah, I see. Good history, I assume."

Warriv shrugged. "The kind that keeps me here, whatever the cost."

"Didn't mean to pry, just asking," Rashaban muttered.

Warriv laughed, "No offense taken, I assure you." He promptly and expertly changed the subject. "Plus, the Rogues need me. More particularly, they need him." Warriv jerked his thumb over to a solid wooden wagon with several torches burning. "Gheed is the merchant on my caravan. He's as greedy as they come, but he won't scam you." he lowered his voice, "That much."

Rashaban laughed.

They made small talk for a while longer, Rashaban relating the tale of the beastmen from earlier.

Warriv nodded. "Damn beasts. Why, back in the day, me and this rotten scoundrel Elzix raided…"

Rashaban sat back, glad to have someone to talk to, and listened to Warriv's tales.

Kara, however, was feeling very differently about her change of scenery. On the one hand, it was like she had never left the Amazon monastery, surrounded by the same sorts of women. Sometimes it felt like she had met them all before, but she knew that all she needed to do was get to know them a little better, and that feeling would fade. What really got her, was how badly the Amazons would speak of the Rogues and how false their opinions were. She remembered spitting out acid barbs about the Rogues whenever they came up in conversation with the rest of the trainees, just because that was the thing to do, but now all she felt was guilt. She shook those thoughts away as she neared Charsi's makeshift smithy, resolving never to speak that way again when she returned.

"Hi," Charsi greeted her simply when she approached.

"Oh, hey," she replied. "Just came over to see how you were doin'. I'm no good at it, but blacksmiths always interest me. It's kinda interesting, seeing a chunk of iron change into a dagger. Also, I need some more arrows."

"Ah, the truth comes out," smiled Charsi, as she bent down and rummaged for a few new arrowheads.

Kara smiled back. "And javelins."

"This is going to cost you," Charsi warned with another smile.

Kara noted in the back of her mind that was what she liked about Charsi; she always smiled. Then, another thought popped into her mind.

"Hey, Charsi, you know Rashaban?"

"What kind of a name is that?"

"The Necromancer who just came in."

Charsi thought for a moment, then replied, "Oh, yeah! Him. What about him?"

"We were fighting some beastmen today with Flavie, and he really needs some way to shoot."

Charsi cocked her head, "What's the point of studying you whole life to learn magic if you can't magic up a fireball or something?"

Kara laughed at Charsi's genuine question "He makes skeletons and golems and things. I've never seen him shoot anything."

Charsi smirked and gave a snort. "Heh. Well, I guess that makes sense. Let's see…"

She rummaged around for a moment behind her tool rack, then popped back up. "Throwing knives?"

Kara eyed them approvingly, but noted their lack of power. "Maybe. What else to do you have?"

"I don't suppose a bow would work?"

"Nope." Kara laughed, "He's too weak and pathetic."

That one got Charsi laughing. "I've got just the thing." She went over to a small lean-to and pulled it out.

Kara looked intrigued. "A crossbow?"

"This one is made especially for weaklings. It's not as powerful as most, but it has a simple lever and gear, so you just brace it against yourself, and work this lever here." she demonstrated, "a couple of times, and it ratchets itself to a draw. Quick, simple, and requires zero strength. Just point and shoot."

Kara's eyes lit up. "Perfect." She hefted it, then said, "I'll take it."

Charsi raised an eyebrow.

"And the throwing knives, javelins, and a quiver of arrows. How much?"

Charsi cocked her head and said, "Wait, you're buying it for him?"

She shrugged back, "Yeah, why not?"

Charsi got a look in her eyes, and said "Its not any of my business, but are you two…"

Kara took a second to get it, then shook her head. "No. Are you kidding? Him? I'm just doing him a favor." 

Charsi seemed satisfied with that, then asked, "How many demons did you guys get today?"

Kara thought , then said, "If you don't count those stupid zombies and rats, about twelve."

Charsi nodded. "Then, that's 120 gold off the price."

\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Rashaban looked alternately incredulous and amazed over Warriv's tale. He couldn't tell whether he was making the entire thing up, or just embellishing heavily. Rashaban decided that, whatever the embellishments, the look in Warriv's eye told him there was at least some truth behind it.

"And that," he finished, "is how Elzix lost his leg. And eye. And scalp. And three fingers. And why, if you value your life, you should never mention the subject of jungle yetis around Kayasha. Ever."

"And the ransom money?", Rashaban persisted.

Warriv laughed. "We split it. Elzix opened a bar. I bought some wagons for the caravan. And Kayasha, " Here he sputtered with laughter, "Kayasha bought that ridiculous chain mail outfit she calls armor!"

They both cracked up after that.

After he stopped laughing, Rashaban caught his breath and said, "You can sure tell a story. That's the best one I've heard for a while."

"That's because it's all _true_!" Warriv cackled, a crazy look in his eyes.

And, the both cracked up again.

Warriv got up suddenly. "Well, I think I'd best be off. Us old, retired snake-temple raiders need our sleep."

Rashaban smirked. "I'm sure you do. Good night."

"G'night."

Rashaban sat by the fire a minute longer, going over Warriv's crazy tale in his head. Then, a reference Warriv had made to a shield suddenly caught in his head, and he remembered what Flavie had said earlier. He got up to go and see if Gheed was still awake.

As he walked over, he could see that the merchant was in his wagon, going over some papers in the candle light by the sound of it. Rashaban knocked on the door. Gheed snapped up from his accounting and grumbled over to see who had disturbed him. He opened the door and said, "Ah, yes. What can I do for you, prankster?"

Rashaban inwardly noted that he could have saved himself some trouble if he had just helped kill the things the day before.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you had a shield? A small one perhaps?"

"Ah, yes, better for your weak, spidery body. A moment."

Rashaban suppressed a glare as Gheed vanished back inside his wagon, reappearing a moment later with a selection of bucklers and small shields. Rashaban looked them over, and selected a solid-looking, wooden small shiled with some sockets, in case he were to find any gems.

"Oh, and you want a bit of free advice?", Gheed asked with a wheedling tone.

"You know how much free advice is worth.", Rashaban smirked.

Gheed seemed nonplussed by the comment as he set the remaining small shields aside. "Amazons are always carrying bucklers in the legends. However, our resident Amazon seems to be without one. I have a fine selection here."

"Last time I checked, I wasn't an Amazon. I seem to recall Warriv saying something about how you wouldn't try and scam me."

Gheed shrugged. "There's a fine line between a salesman and a con artist. It's one I walk every day. Now, look, you made the Amazon mad. If she makes any friends, you'll have made them mad, too. If she makes enough, knowing women, you'll have the whole camp mad at you. Best to pay for the politics now, see?"

Rashaban raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know her name, do you?"

Gheed looked confused. "Whose? It doesn't matter who she is, it's just how things go."

"She didn't look that mad to me. She even shot a beastman off my back today"

Gheed shrugged again. "You never can tell with women. Think of it as insurance."

Rashaban rolled his eyes. He didn't consider himself good with women, but he did know when he was being talked into something, not that it took much to see it now. He also knew Kara needed a buckler.

Shrugging, he looked them over, and picked one. "How much?"

"500 gold, for both."

"That sounds like double the amount." Rashaban grumbled, as he handed it over, his coin pouch decidedly lighter. It was almost all he had.

Gheed simply replied, "I stopped charging Necromancers double after Solmo came through."

"Well, then, why so high?", Rashaban persisted.

"Now I only charge naïve pranksters double!" Gheed shot back, as he slammed the door. As his eyes glimmered at the gold he had managed to squeeze out of the Necromancer, he took note that he had charged so much more partly because Rashaban had taken his best buckler.

As Rashaban approached the fire, he reflected that anywhere there were people, there was one ready to make some coin, even in a remote camp bordering a demon-infested wasteland. 'Oh, well,' he thought. 'At least I got my shield.' An old man was telling a story by the fire, and as Rashaban approached, Kara called out to him, "Hey, Rashaban! Come over here! You'll want to hear this!"

As it happened, Deckard Cain was retelling the story of how Solmo had rescued him from the burning town of Tristram. The Rogues had all heard it before, but Rashaban and Kara were enraptured at his tale.

Cain was a great storyteller, as good as Warriv, if not better, and as he had been the subject of this one, it was epic indeed. His voice matched perfectly everything he said, and as he finished his story, Rashaban even recognized Solmo's tone;

"…he thrust a portal scroll in my hands and said, 'If you value your life, Deckard Cain, GET OUT!!!'" He sat back down, though neither one of them noticed that he had stood, and finished, simply, in a normal tone, "And I did. As I looked back, I saw him turn to face a pack of beastmen. He didn't gate back to town for hours. I think, though I can't be sure, that he killed every last one of them."

Rashaban and Kara had been on the edge of their seats, and as Deckard Cain finished, they sat back, absorbing the tale. "Wow." Rashaban breathed. "I had no idea Solmo was capable of that. That's totally different than when he left."

Kara nodded. "Sounds pretty amazing."

Deckard Cain nodded. "Well, I'm just glad to have a new audience. These Rogues," he gestured around him, "Have all heard that story, and more, so many times, they've lost interest."

"Wait, you know more?" Rashaban blurted. As soon as he had asked, he'd known it was a dumb question, but he'd been so caught up in thinking that he'd missed the obvious.

Cain smiled. "Of course. I followed Solmo until that fateful day. I know of all his tales."

"Could we hear another?" Kara asked, her eyes wide.

Cain got up slowly. "I am afraid that you cannot bother this old man for another story this night. It is time that I rest."

They both nodded in deference, and watched him depart slowly.

"Some story uh?", Kara commented, once he was gone.

Rashaban was still lost in thought. "Yeah…" He realized had no idea what Solmo had really been through.

"Oh, by the way," Kara said.

"Eh?"

"What do you think of this?" she pulled out the crossbow, and handed it to him.

Rashaban looked it over, and after looking at it for a minute, figured out how it worked.

"It's very well built, but it looks pretty light, doesn't look nearly as powerful as a bow. If there was any more tension, this lever wouldn't work. What's it for?"

"You. You were saying how you needed a way to shoot to back up your minions. I had some extra gold, so here you are. Oh, and these might be handy, too."

She tossed him the throwing knives.

Rashaban was stunned. Now that he looked at it, it was perfect for him. "Wow, thanks. I…how much was this?"

Kara shrugged. "Charsi gave me a Killing Demons Discount. Maybe 100 gold."

Rashaban laughed. "Last time I go to Gheed's then. He charged me double."

"He what?"

"Yeah. I wanted a shield like Flavie recommended, and he charged me double for it. Oh, and speaking of which…"

He dug out the bucker. "They say Amazons use bucklers. Or at least Gheed did, and he scammed me into buying this. You can have it."

Kara's eyes widened. "That's…that's the best one he had! I didn't have the money for it!"

"The better the quality, the more gold he can squeeze out of you", Rashaban chuckled. "He tried to tell me I needed to buy some politics from throwing you over the wall, or I'd have the whole camp after me."

She laughed. "Is that the line he used?"

Rashaban shook his head. "He'll say anything to get you to buy his stuff, it seems."

Kara looked at the bucker, then at him. "Wow, this must have been so expensive…how can I make it up to you?"

Rashaban began to say, "Forget it,-" When Maeko chose that moment to walk by and cut him off. Leaning down next to Kara, she said, "I don't know what it's like in Amazon Land, but never, _ever_ say those words to a man. Ever."

It took them a second to process it, but when they did, Kara blushed. Upon seeing her look, an evil comeback snapped to Rashaban's mind, involving Maeko and her resemblance to certain current inhabitants of the Monastery that would preclude _her _ever using those words, but then a subtler way came to mind. Deciding that diffusing the situation would do more good that starting a contest to see who had the best insults, (which he would obviously win) Rashaban bit back his jibe. Instead, he acted completely oblivious, replying, to them both, "Oh, think nothing of it. This new crossbow is quite enough, I assure you."

It was Maeko's turn to look confused, and at his innocent look, she shrugged and walked off to find something else to do.

Kara looked at him incredulously, and asked, "Did you really not know what she was talking about?"

Rashaban rolled his eyes. "Of course. I just wanted to shut her trap." He paused. "Unless that was what you meant in the first place…"

Kara's death glare cracked him up. "Oh, c'mon, you walked right into that one." he managed between laughs.

Kara couldn't help herself, and laughed with him.

It didn't occur to either of them that the sight of both of them sitting by the fire, alone, and laughing carried much more weight with the gossiping Rogues than Kara's flat refusal to Charsi.

"Anyway, I really appreciate this. You didn't have to get scammed for it."

Rashaban shrugged "You didn't have to look up a perfect solution to my shooting problem. Call it even."

"Even, then."

The hour was late, and not long after, they both went to sleep.


	7. RAID!

"RAAAAIIID!!!! UP, YOU FOOLS!!! ATTAAAACCK!!!!" Kayasha's scream rang through the cool night air.

Kara jolted out of bed, and grabbed her javelins without thought. Her warrior instincts kicking in, she was out of the tent and scanning the area before she had a coherent thought; 'What's going on?' she saw Rogues rushing for the walls, and carvers pouring over from makeshift ladders. The malicious imps cackled manically as they scrambled up their ladders, dropping to the ground as soon as they were over the spiked top of the wall. And, as soon as one touched down, it took an arrow in the chest. A few were trying to set fire to the wooden walls, but, whenever a post caught, a Rogue would shoot an ice arrow, and the post would freeze. The Rogues had obviously faced this kind of attack before, and were well prepared. They grouped in lines a few yards away from a ladder, constantly shooting any that poked their heads above the wall.

Kara darted around, trying to see where she was need most, and saw Rashaban stumbling around, confused. "What's going on?!" he yelled.

"What's it look like?!"

Rashaban took one look at the diminutive midgets that were being cut down in droves, and muttered something Kara couldn't hear over the clamor. He sleepily walked back to his tent. Confused, Kara rushed over to him. "Well, what are you going to do?"

"Go back to sleep. They don't need my help with this rabble."

Kara was shocked. "WHAT?!"

Rashaban recoiled from the noise. "Look around, will you? They're winning."

Outraged, she swept open the flap. "What kind of wizard are you?! At least make a golem outside or something!"

"The kind that's going to be useless tomorrow if I don't get my sleep." Rashaban pulled his bedroll back over his head. "Now if you think the Rogues are so helpless, go help them and leave me be."

Kara just stood there for a moment, then grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him out, bedroll and all. "Do something!" she snarled. Rashaban gave her a glare that surpassed evil, and a thought just as evil sprang to mind. As Kara glared, the ground erupted beneath her feet. Instantly caught in the golem's arms, she tried to give him a 'you wouldn't dare' look, but he was still trying to get up, and wasn't paying any attention to her. The golem stomped towards the wall, and dropped her over. "Have fun", Rashaban muttered irritably. As an afterthought, he muttered to his golem, "If one of those midgets gets over the wall, stomp it. When they are gone, unsummon." The golem stomped off to complete its tasks, and Rashaban dragged himself back to bed. 'Some people.', he thought.

"I'm gonna kill him!!!" Kara had easily rolled to break her fall, then sprang back up and laid in to the carvers. "How dare he?!" There were quite a few of them, but she cut through them in a rage, her javelin a blur. She soon found that taking down the carvers was easy; she just turned her javelin upside down, and stabbed them in the head. The things never even tried to block. Less than a half-hour of hard fighting later, enough of the carvers had been killed, and they routed. Kara, utterly exhausted, walked up to the ladders and tossed them over the wall, save the last one, which she used to climb back over, and kicked back once was reached the top. "Where is he?!" she demanded.

"Who?" asked a passing Rogue, as they cleaned up the carver bodies.

"That worthless Necromancer! He tossed me over the wall when I tried to get him to help!"

"Again?", the Rogue giggled. "Maybe you should stay away from him, that seems to happen an awful lot."

Kara just glared, and stalked over to his tent.

"Oh, c'mon." the Rogue called after her, "We've had enough excitement for one night."

Scowling, Kara skulked off to her own tent.


	8. Blood Raven

In the morning, she was about to go and give Rashaban a piece of her mind, but the Rogue had informed Kayasha, and she was waiting. She didn't care whether or not Rashaban had helped, it was just a small-scale raid, and wizards supposedly needed their sleep or they didn't regain their mana. She just didn't want any trouble. "Kara. Just who I wanted to see.", Kayasha smoothly intercepted her. "Since you proved so useful last night, I have some raids for you to go on." A half an hour later, Kara stalked out of the camp, half impressed with herself for gaining Kayasha's attention, and half still mad at the worthless Necromancer, to raid the beastmen for the day.

Rashaban woke up late, since his rest the night before had been disturbed. As he sat warming himself up by the fire, a Rogue ran into camp, heaving for breath and yelling between gasps for Kayasha. Rashaban was about to get up and find her, but she appeared from behind a tent and rushed up to her breathless comrade. As they whispered, Kayasha's face became stony. Rashaban walked up, but kept his distance until the Rogue had walked away. "Any of my business?", he asked

"Blood Raven is back. Go ask Akara if you want to know, I'm not in the mood to enlighten you.", Kayasha snapped, and headed off.

Rashaban was confused. He yelled back to her retreating form, "What? Who are these people?"

Kayasha glared back, then her gaze softened, and she said, "Oh, right, you don't know Akara. Come with me."

She led him to a far corner of the camp that he had never been to, and indicated a large tent. "She's our priestess." Then, Kayasha turned and was gone, the stony look back on her face.

Rashaban shrugged and entered the tent. A wizened crone in a purple robe sat mixing some potions. "The Necromancer, I presume?", she said without looking up from her work.

"That's me. Kayasha said to tell you that Blood Raven is back, and for you to give me the story on her." 

Akara looked up from her work, and said, "There's not much to tell. Blood Raven was Kayasha's second in command at the time the Dark Sisters turned traitor, and she went with them. When Solmo found her, she was at the old cemetery, making zombies. I can only assume she is in the same place."

Rashaban nodded. He didn't know much about the Dark Sisters, and didn't really care to, but he knew he should get all the information that he could. "What can you tell me about them?"

"They deserve to die.", Akara said bluntly. "And that is all. For each traitor you kill I will consider healing you once."

"I _meant_ any useful information. What are they weak against? How powerful are they? Did they keep their abilities as Rogues?"

"I do not wish to discuss those traitors.", Akara said bluntly. "All you need to know is that they need to die."

Rashaban's face contorted into a glare. "For all your hatred of them, you aren't being very helpful."

Akara looked up at him, and her face softened for a moment. "I'm sorry. You've just hit a nerve."

"I can see that."

"Well, I don't want to discuss them, but is there anything else I can do for you?"

Rashaban eyed the potions along the wall, thinking he might have found a solution to his lack of power.

After making a deal for some mana potions and stocking up on crossbow bolts, Rashaban set out. It took an hour of walking to get to the cemetery, steering clear of most of the patrols. Once he found it, he sized up the situation from the trees. It didn't look good.

Blood Raven was clearly visible in the center, with a host of zombies surrounding her. She seemed to be working on making more. Rashaban wished he knew more about his enemy, how powerful she was, and whether she had summoned those zombies herself or was just controlling them. If she was just controlling them, then he could pick them off without her knowing, but if she had summoned them herself, then she would know the instant they were attacked. There was only one way to be sure. He summoned skeletons and a golem, then unslung his new crossbow. He ratcheted back the string, fitted a bolt, aimed for a zombie, and fired.

And missed by a mile. Blood Raven hadn't even noticed. Cursing, he decided he needed a bit more practice. And more meant any at all. He slunk away undetected, and spent the next two hours getting to know his crossbow. By the time he was done, even though he wasn't a good shot by any means, he at least could get his shot close to his target, and was pretty sure he could to some damage to a crowd of zombies.

He got back to his original hiding spot undetected, and got off a lucky shot at a zombie. It went down, and Blood Raven didn't even flinch. A smile crossed his face. Not only did she not know when they were being attacked, but that also meant she couldn't tell which ones were hers. Another plan had come to mind.

Rashaban threw his cloak over one of his skeletons, and positioned his golem and remaining skeleton strategically among the trees. Ducking under the cloak behind his skeleton, he hoped Blood Raven wasn't paying too much attention.

He made sure the skeleton shambled like a zombie, and he was sure to wander about randomly, matching his footsteps to his minion's to make sure he didn't draw too much attention. He was in luck; Blood Raven was bent over the ground examining some graves, and had no idea that he was lurking around.

His seemingly meandering path soon took him close. Not wanting to get too close and lose his element of surprise, Rashaban decided that seven yards would be just close enough for him to hit, and just far enough away to avoid suspicion. He positioned himself so that her back was to him, then, not wanting to give himself away with the sudden ceasing of footsteps, he crouched and had his skeleton move on, so that the cloak slipped off him as it slowly advanced. He lined up his shot carefully and quickly, and pulled the trigger.

Blood Raven coldly examined the names on the graves, seeing if any rung a bell in her twisted, suppressed memory as anyone worthy of housing a zombie champion. As she unwillingly sifted through the tangled morass of her old recollections, she recalled her old training. She recalled her old danger sense, that inexplicable warning bell that sounded just before an impending surprise attack.

She realized it was ringing.

Without thought, she rolled to the side, as a crossbow bolt slid effortlessly through the air and her trailing cloak, where her back had been, moments before.

Rashaban made a mental note that, apparently, he was bad at assassinations. Cursing, he ordered his hidden minions to attack, and his decoy skeleton to rush in front of him.

None too soon, as two arrows pierced it. Rashaban backpedaled behind his failing decoy, frantically pumping his crossbow for another shot. He looked through his other minions' eyes for a moment, and saw that they were doing quite well, even outnumbered, against Blood Raven's suddenly vicious force of zombies.

He jumped behind a gravestone as Blood Raven shot another arrow, this one ending his skeleton and putting another hole in his cloak and it fluttered to he ground. He whipped around his cover and fired again, but he wasn't even aiming, just trying to keep her from charging him. Impatiently, he gulped down a mana potion and raised another skeleton. He had hoped to end this quickly, with one shot, but now that plan was ruined. He had no illusions about being able to out shoot her after practicing with his crossbow for only a few hours. 'Why did I come so unprepared?', he mentally snapped at himself. "I should have brought an Amazon." he muttered.

Forcefully shoving those thought from his mind, he scrambled for a way to get back on top of the situation. First, was her minions. If he could get rid of those, he would have an edge. He sent his minions to ignore Blood Raven and attack the zombies. None were coming for him, yet, and he saw that Blood Raven was distracted as well.

He popped around from his cover and planted a nearby zombie with a crossbow bolt. He counted around thirty more, and winced as Blood Raven ended another skeleton. But, Blood Raven's minions were no match for Rashaban's, and he could easily summon more in this zombie filled area. He raised his hand and a replacement skeleton burst forth from the corpse of a zombie, headed for the melee as soon as it rose. Rashaban popped around his cover once more and plugged another zombie, keeping a wary eye on Blood Raven.

'At this rate,' he thought to himself, 'I can't lose'.

He raised another skeleton to replace the most recent one Blood Raven had taken down, and shot again.

'Then what?', he asked himself.

'Then…I'll…send in my minions, and they'll make short work of her.'

'Not at the rate she's going through them,' he replied, as another skeleton went down.

'My golem', he responded in annoyance as he raised another. 'It hasn't fallen yet.'

'It can't catch her, it's too slow."

His crossbow was primed again. 'Well… I'll think of something. First things first.' he thought as he raised his weapon once more.

Blood Raven left just enough time in between cutting down the Necromancer's minions to give him a false sense of security. She wanted him to think that his skeletons could take multiple shots, and that his golem was invincible. She was also willing to sacrifice her worthless zombies if it made her foe even the slightest bit overconfident, for that would be his undoing.

It wasn't long before Rashaban watched his minions slice down the last of the zombies. He snapped out of cover, a bolt at the ready and hoping she would be close enough for him to get a good shot, but Blood Raven was nowhere to be found. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a flash of red slipping between the tombstones. He cursed. Her minions were gone, but if he left his cover, he would be an open target. If he stayed where he was, he was a sitting duck.

Straining his eyes to catch another flash of red, he saw one and shot, but he was far too late, and his bolt clattered harmlessly among the tombstones. Quickly shifting his gaze back to where he had seen the flash, he set his crossbow down. There was one way he could shoot at her, with his teeth spell, but he knew it was still weak. He was tempted to go hunting after her; surely he would have a better chance in close combat.

He winced as an arrow shot from nowhere and ended a skeleton. Before he could even raise another, the same fate befell his remaining one. 'No point using them,' he thought.

Sliding around his cover, he ordered over his golem for a mobile shield. 'Let's see how well those arrows shoot through rock.', he smirked.

He slowly advanced around the graveyard, making sure to stay low, with a tombstone at his back and his golem to the front.

"I'd like to see you shoot me like this!", he called out. "Why don't you just show yourself, and we'll settle this the old fashioned way! There's no way to shoot through my golem!"

No response.

Shrugging, Rashaban continued his slow search. He knew full well he would never find her this way, but, eventually, her demonic bloodlust would drive her out.

As he turned behind a particularly high tombstone, confident that Blood Raven couldn't shoot him in the back through the solid stone, he remembered that his dagger wasn't poisoned. As he fiddled with it, keeping a watchful eye out for flashes of red among the stones, he heard a chilling voice in his ear, "Checkmate, Necromancer."


	9. Overconfidence, The Great Killer

He froze. Though he would never admit it to himself later, hearing that dreaded voice in his ear almost made him pass out. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind that Blood Raven would simply hide behind one of the stones, and wait for him to walk by.

A plan flashed to mind. It needed a spell he hadn't been able to master, but since Blood Raven had him where she wanted him, he had little other choice.

Hoping against hope that Blood Raven couldn't see from her angle, he palmed his knife, and let the vial of poison clatter to the ground, putting up his hands, his golem crumbling into dust. Visibly, his knees began to shake, along with his voice, as he stammered, "I…I…I…this is the pppp..art where I dddd….die, iisn't it?" Blood Raven noticed a wet stain form on his pants.

"Any last words? I could write them on a piece of paper and tie it to your head when I throw it over the camp's wall." Inwardly, Blood Raven smiled. She knew full well, it was in the forefront of her mind, that she had won, that the only reason he was still alive was that her hand was holding back his death at the bowstring. She liked seeing her would be assassins broken, though, and wanted him to know it.

These were her conscious thoughts. Unconsciously, far back in the recesses of her mind, a part of her cracked an eye. A part that had been shoved back and dormant for a long, long time and had been awakened briefly when the demon searched her memory. That part looked out through her old eyes, and knew that, if only for a moment, she might reach out once from beyond her treachery, and help her old commander. The demon was paying her no mind at the moment. Mentally, she pulled a few strings, and overconfidence, the most deadly enemy of all, seeped into her mind. She toyed with him a while longer, taunts spouting out of her mouth. Inwardly, unconsciously, Blood Raven smiled.

"Or, maybe I don't need to cut off your head. I could just have you turned into a zombie, and walk you through the gate, with a bottle of poison gas for the Rogues. A necromancer, turned into a zombie. That would be fitting.", she sneered.

Rashaban put forth his best pathetic voice, "Oh, no, pp..please, have some mercy…that would be te..te..terrible…"

Blood Raven prodded the arrowhead into the back of his neck. "Looks like you should have thought of that before you tried to come kill me!"

In his head, Rashaban gritted his teeth. 'Not yet…' he thought, knowing the timing needed to be perfect, 'Not yet…'

"Or maybe," she leered, "I should take you to Andariel, and have you corrupted. Even if you won't turn, which I doubt, seeing as you're a pathetic coward, she would have her fun with you."

"Ohnohnohnohno! Not that! ANYTHING but that!" on cue, Rashaban started hyperventilating, and made as if he wanted to run with all his being, shaking uncontrollably in terror, only held back by the knowledge that there was an arrowhead at his throat. "Please, please, you mustn't! End me now!" Knowing she wouldn't, now that he had hit a nerve, he continued, in an excruciatingly remorseful voice "I…I…I..I didn't sign up for this. I don't want to die…I'll do anything you want…please….I don't want to-" With that, his legs gave out, and he fell forwards, limply.

'This is it.', he thought as the ground rushed up to meet him. 'If she isn't fooled, I'm done for. If I can't cast this spell, I'm done for.'

Blood Raven took the tension off her bow as her body curled forwards in laughter, her eyes squinted as a cackle escaped her lips. 'I've seen pathetic before, but this-', her thought was swiftly cut off.

In the time it took to fall, his mind working as fast as it possibly could, Rashaban desperately scrabbled for the spiritual reside in the ether around him, and the countless tiny fragments of men and animals long dead and gone, ground into the very stones he was about to fall on. It seemed like he was falling for an eternity, like he would never make it in time, but sheer desperation pulled him through. Wordlessly, silently, a thin, insubstantial white sheen permeated the air around him. On impulse, his right leg kicked into action, his left whipping around behind him to overbalance him. He flipped in midair, mere inches from the ground, landing hard on his back, staring up at a shocked Blood Raven, who loosed her arrow.

Without the full draw of the bow, it splayed harmlessly off of the weak shield of Bone Armor. Words flashed unbidden to Rashaban's mind, 'You throw a knife well. One day, it'll come in handy.'

With a flick of his wrist, the knife he had palmed and poisoned earlier was in his hand. Before Blood Raven could even fully draw another arrow from her quiver, Rashaban sent the dagger sliding through the air, not end over end, but straight and clear, like a dart, and it buried itself in Blood Raven's unarmored stomach. As soon as the dagger left his hand, he was scrambling to get behind another tombstone, a very angry looking golem forming from the stones behind him to cover his retreat.

"SMASH HER!!!" He screamed in terror as he scrambled along on all fours, the adrenaline flowing so thickly through his blood that he couldn't even get a hold of himself enough to mentally command his hurried, instinctive creation. All he knew was that he had just slipped by a certain death, his trick had worked by luck alone, and now he was running.

"Smash her! Smashhersmashhersmasher! Don't let her through!" he babbled, simply trying to put as much distance and cover between him and the arrow in the back he knew was coming. It wasn't until he had reached the edge of the graveyard, with no more cover left to him, that he was finally able to get a hold of himself, and stop his maddened flight. Before doing anything else, he strengthened his bone armor as best he could, and grabbed his wand. Sensing his golem was still out there, his adrenaline fed fear slid smoothly over into adrenaline fed rage. Two skeletons snapped to attention, and he marched in full view back towards her.

He caught her dodging around tombstones, still clutching her open wound, trying to evade his golem. He didn't hesitate.

With a vengeful glare, a sickly red aura surrounded Blood Raven, and the poison sucked away at her life twice as fast. "TEETH OF THE DRAGON!" he roared, putting every ounce of his crazed energy into the bolts. That all struck dead on. She was knocked back, sprawled against a tombstone, her bow flying from her hand and skittering on the stones. Stunned for the moment, she didn't even register through the haze of poison as his skeletons rushed up, pinning her arms to the stone. Rashaban strode over to her, every ounce the victor of a hard won battle, and squatted down so she was at eye level.

"Playing games cost you the battle, and I won't make the same mistake. So you just have one chance to speak. What should I tell Kayasha?"

Blood Raven smirked, the poison bringing her ever closer to death, although Rashaban could have sworn he saw a glimmer in her eye at the mention of Kayasha's name.

"Solmo asked me the same thing. I spat in his eye."

"Changed your mind?"

Blood Raven gave a wicked smile. "I hope you remember how you tricked me this day. Because I will, and next time we meet, I'm gonna tie you to a wall, and use you for target practice. I'll do the least vital organs first, and make sure you're kept alive. When you've begged, and pleaded, for real this time, for me to end your pathetic life so much that it simply gets annoying, I'll give you one in the heart and one in the head." Here, her face contorted into a sickly grimace filled with such malice that he was tempted to end it right there. "And then, just when you think it's finally over", she continued, "I'll have Andariel bring you back, and I'll do it all over again. And again. I'll keep it up until you scream for mercy, and beg to kiss my boot. You and Kayasha and that stupid Amazon, you'll all look back in horror at the day you ever crossed me."

Rashaban raised an eyebrow, and seemed lost in thought for a moment. A part of him knew that he should simply end her now, but the adrenaline flowing through him made that impossible, and drove him on to taunt his helpless opponent. "Andariel is the Maiden of Anguish…hold on….I've got it! It all makes sense now!" He slapped his forehead. "You're all masochists! _That's_ why you're invading the land and killing everyone! It's not that you're evil or heartless, it's just the opposite! Pain makes you feel good, and you're just trying to be neighborly, and spread the love!"

In response to Blood Raven's horrible sneer, he plastered a big, fake smile on his face. "Since pain makes you feel _so_ damn good, then how about this?"

The skeletons wrenched her arms around the wrong way, until they cracked out of their sockets. Blood Raven grimaced, but said nothing.

He bent down and removed a boot from her foot, and held it up, examining it. "But, kiss your boots? Where did that come from?"

Rashaban leered in close, the smile vanishing. "You're talking pretty high and mighty for someone with no arms and poison in their blood. I've noticed most demons talk like that when they're about to die." he snarled.

Blood Raven smiled back. "If I were you, I'd break that habit of interrogating your victims and just put them down. If you'd done that, you would have been able to go to sleep tonight without the knowledge that I'll be back as soon as Andariel finds the time in her busy schedule of slaughtering you like pigs to revive me."

Rashaban was torn. The adrenaline fueled part of him was having fun, and was about to merrily suggest that she kiss his boots, and spout off some comment about how the idea was beginning to grow on him. But another, more rational part urgently demanded that he finish this now, before he toyed with her too long, and made the same mistake she had.

Finally, he decided.

He shrugged, and again plastered the fake smile back on his face. "Well, if that's the case, I've had a _lovely_ time here with you, and I'm sure we can meet again. Bye."

Blood Raven's response was cut off as the golem's fist smashed her head into a pulp against the stone.

Her spirit could barely be seen rising as an outline, and he couldn't tell if she was glaring at him with hate or smiling.

Rashaban's fake smile soon fell from his face, and it took on a look of disgust.

He shook his head and muttered, "Masochists…" to himself, as he went to look for his dropped knife and crossbow.

Kara was sitting by the fire enjoying a nice dinner Warriv had fixed. She had spent to morning venting her anger at the Necromancer's impertinence, then had consoled herself with the thought that Kayasha had most likely chewed him out about it. She had spent the rest of the day hard at work on her technique, and had thinned out the beastmen far past Kayasha's expectations.

Around dusk, she saw the Necromancer saunter into the camp, his minions in tow. He walked straight up to Kayasha's tent. Kara turned back to her food and paid him no mind.

Kayasha came and sat by the fire a short time later, saying, "But, you see, I need _proof_."

"Proof?!" Rashaban sputtered, and his voice rose. "She nearly killed me! If she hadn't been so intent on toying with me, I'd be dead! And when I _finally_ managed to subdue her, I had to sit through a rant about how she was going to kill us all slowly, and how I was going to kiss her boot. Look, here's her brains on my golem, see?"

Kayasha did not look convinced.

Rashaban rolled his eyes, "Look, I guess, I've got…oh here", he rummaged in his pack. "Her boot!"

Kayasha's face twitched. "Her boot?"

"Yeah, she kept going on and on about how once she killed us a certain number of times, we would have to kiss her boot." he shook his head. "Masochists are an odd lot. Anyway, it's hers."

Kayasha took it skeptically, and gasped when she saw a familiar mark. "It _is_ hers! I remember when she got that burn mark on them!"

"That's what I've been trying to _tell_ you!"

Kayasha's face wore an unreadable look. "I suppose we should thank you…although I don't much like to think of it…"

Seeing her distress, Rashaban waved his hand, as if to wave her concern away. "Oh, don't worry about losing her. She _insisted_ she would be back."

"What?!"

"Yeah. Let's see…how did she put it…as soon as Andariel can spare a moment from killing you pigs, she'll bring me back to life, and then you won't sleep very well. Or something to that effect, anyway."

Kayasha looked torn.

Rashaban smiled, "Don't worry about it! We'll kill Andariel, and you'll get your second in command back!"

Kayasha looked at him, her eyes flashing full of hope for an instant. "Are you sure?"

Rashaban looked at the ground, "Well, no…but I guess that's how these things work…"

Kayasha stood and blinked for a moment, then snorted and walked off.

"Hey! Don't I get a reward?!", he snapped back, as soon as he saw she was leaving.

Kayasha stopped and said in a monotone, without even turning. "Rashaban has killed Blood Raven. All hail Rashaban. He has the undying gratitude of the Rogues."

Then she walked off. Several Rogues laughed at Kayasha's response, then came up and congratulated him. Kara just glared. She had been out there sweating all day, and now suddenly that unhelpful clown was the center of attention.

She sighed, and supposed that, for all his arrogance, he had done something.

Rashaban went to bed soon after, completely exhausted and shaking a bit from the huge adrenalin let down. He knew full well he had squirmed his way out of that because Blood Raven had simply wanted to torture him. Trying to think over what his weaknesses were, he found a long list. He had managed to throw that knife well enough, but he simply wasn't fast enough. The only solution, he knew, was more practice. He resolved to be up early the next morning. He would not let that weakness get the better of him again.


	10. Death of a Rogue

As he shot the last carver between the eyes, Rashaban reveled in his victory. This was too easy. These things were nothing to him and his unliving minions. He had indeed gotten up early, and set out even before the Amazon. He was quickly picking up more and more skill, and he soon noticed something. The demons always had a set pattern that they always followed; they could not learn new defenses or attacks. As soon as he had fought one type of demon a few times, he had them figured out, and could almost know their moves in advance. 'Simple,' he told himself. As he haughtily strode along, he noticed something off in the distance, three things standing together. Completely unafraid, he went to investigate.

When he arrived, he stopped dead in his tracks, his former hubris gone. He found three stakes jammed into the ground, and upon each was thrust a rogue, a dying grimace on her face, her earthly beauty gone. He had seen death before, many times, but...this, this was not an honorable death. The demons who had slain these rogues had stuck them up here, in the order they had been slain, to rot in the sun as a warning to others. Such cruelty was an unthinkable concept, and only then did he truly understand what he was dealing with. Even his encounter with Blood Raven, clouded by hubris and the rush of battle, had not stamped the concept on his mind so vividly. These were not rogue creatures, isolated beings possessed by evil spirits. These were demons, vile creatures that should never walk the earth, and they worked in cruel ways and bore a horrendous mindset. He had known what they were, but now he truly understood the scope of what he was fighting. Numbly, he searched the bodies after giving them a quick ritual, and all he could find was a quiver of arrows on each. A scowl on his face, he slew a few more and went immediately back to town. He gave the arrows to Kayasha, who accepted them with a grimace, needing no explanation. It was not the last of such markings he was to see.

After that, he felt a bit…directionless for a few days. He knew that he should go on more raids farther towards the Monastery, as Kara was doing, but for some reason, his head would go fuzzy whenever he stepped outside the gates. 'Perhaps my fight with Blood Raven was more draining than I realized, and I shouldn't have been out so soon' he reasoned. With that, he retired to his tent to study some tomes, and took to his bed early.

A few days later, he woke up and decided that, even though he didn't feel quite right, that he needed to go out on a raid, perhaps as far as the Forgotten Tower. He had been lounging around the camp lately, and he felt that he needed to do something, even if his head was a little woozy. A quick fight and the sight of his slain opponents would clear it right up. He had kept the Rogue that Kayasha had assigned him as a reward for killing Blood Raven, her name was Annor, he thought that he might be beginning to grow fond of her. She had been on quite a few raids herself, and seemed to be growing stronger as he had. He cleared his head of such thoughts and stepped onto the waystone with her, determined to knock off the rust.

They were immediately beset by foes, and it became clear to him that his idle time and his fuzzy head were a serious setback. He could not recall half of his tactics, and his shots with the crossbow were sloppy. Annor was apparently not suffering from anything, but in his foolishness, Rashaban let the fight get out of hand. Before he could reverse his tactics, or even get back to the waypoint, Annor had been slain. Cursing himself, he managed to escape, with barely his life.

Back at camp, he first went to Kayasha, to apologize for his idiocy and accept any punishment she might bestow for killing her comrade out of negligence. But, she and the others seemed entirely unconcerned; they had seen too many die to be moved by the death of just one more. Only the outsiders; Kara, Gheed, Charsi and Warriv looked away with an angry glare in their eyes when he walked by without her, anger for the demons more than for him, but anger nonetheless. Why had her death affected them so? He did not bat an eye at killing the demons, of course, and his training had prepared him for death, but this… he had never had a comrade die before. He vowed that he would never take another comrade unless the need was dire, and even then, he would take special care to protect them. Rashaban had never talked to Annor much, but he had been about to start. And now, she was gone. All the Rogues knew that if they left the camp, then one day they would not come back. Rashaban shook his head. He would go back. They would pay. They would all pay. Not just for Annor's death. As cold a thought as it was, he knew he could get over that. But, for dragging the whole world into this mess… He unconsciously glanced at Kara, across the camp, but he was so immersed in his own thoughts of vengeance that he did not notice it himself. "They'll pay." he muttered to himself, as he stepped back on the waystone. His head was a little bit clearer now, and his strength was coming back. He knew that it would be wise to call it a day early, but he had to get back out there and exact revenge. He just had to.

Later than night, he gated back onto the camp's waystone, covered in the blood of his enemies. Something had driven him onwards, far past the horde he had slain in vengeance for Annor. Eventually, he had run into a few areas Kara had cleared, and that had helped his progress quite a bit, as he stepped over to the fire, Debi saw him, and was a bit shocked to see he was smiling.

He was smiling for many reasons. First, his magical powers were on the rise, and he didn't need to gulp a potion every five minutes, not to mention he was sure he could gain new spells. Secondly, he had exacted his vengeance many times over, having slain more demons than he cared to count. But, he was also smiling because he had made it to his goal that day. He had made it to the Monastery.


	11. The Smith

"IT'S GONE!" Charsi's scream reverberated throughout the early morning camp air. Everyone was surprised less by the yell itself, and more by the fact that it was Charsi; not a one of them could ever remember her raising her voice this way.

As the camp quickly congregated near her forge, she was on the verge of tears, pacing back and forth. "The Malus… AGH! How could they get away with this!?!" She rounded on an unfortunate group of Rogues, "You! You were on guard duty last night! You were supposed to be watching! This is all your fault!" she whirled around to face the opposite direction in her pacing, and glared at no one in particular. "I can't believe they pulled this off!", she seethed.

"What's going on?" Kayasha's voice rang clearly through the gathering crowd.

"They stole the Malus!" Charsi wailed as Kayasha broke through the crowd. The look on Kayasha's face turned grim. "How?!" she demanded.

Charsi shook her head. "I don't know. I had it in with the rest of my tools, then _some people_," here she stopped to glare at the Rogues who had been on guard duty the night before, "let a thief through."

Kayasha shook her head. "This isn't good. Once Solmo recovered that, the quality of their weapons went down drastically. Now, we'll probably be seeing a lot more magical weapons and armor."

Rashaban was confused. "Someone want to fill me in here?"

"The magical, Horadric hammer that Solmo recovered." Cain informed him. "Capable of creating powerful magical items in the hands of a skilled smith, even if the smith knows nothing of magic, it is a formidable asset indeed."

Charsi nodded, a bitter expression on her face. "And I'm sure the Smith in the monastery knows plenty." she continued for him, her voice dripping with loss.

Rashaban shrugged. "I made it to the Monastery. Who else has?"

A handful of Rogues raised their hands. "I've gotten close", Kara piped up.

"Well, then, I say we go get it back."

Kayasha shook her head. "I can't allow that. It won't risk so many at once."

At Rashaban's smug, 'well, do you have a better idea' look, Kayasha suggested, "Why don't you and Kara go. You're more experienced now than you were before, you two should be able to handle it."

"We're not Rogues, so we're expendable." Rashaban corrected.

Kayasha grimaced at his correct assessment. "Fine. You can have a Rogue, free of charge. Happy?"

Rashaban shook his head. "Just one? No thanks. I haven't forgotten about what happened to Annor. Give me a fair number, or I go alone."

Kayasha shrugged. "Then, you go alone."

"I'll take a Rogue!" Kara piped up from the back.

Rashaban rolled his eyes as he grabbed a quiver full of crossbow bolts from Charsi's barrel. "May I?"

Charsi nodded her head. "No charge if you bring back my hammer.", she said, some hope in her voice.

Rashaban did not reply as he stepped through the crowd towards the waystone. 'Didn't think I'd get an assignment this soon after breakfast,' he thought to himself with a chuckle.

"Wait up!" Kara called after him, a Rogue companion in tow.

Rashaban turned on the waystone, and said, "I'll tell you what. This shouldn't be too difficult, let's make it a race. "I get the hammer first, and I get to sleep through as many midget raids as I want."

Kara glared at him. "And if I find it- hey!" He was already gone.

Rashaban looked over his shoulder for a few minutes after stepping off the waystone. Apparently, Kara didn't have the one inside. 'Oh, well', he thought with a smirk. Her loss. This will be easy.

\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Rashaban wished he knew the time. He had been wandering this moldering barracks for hours, looking for the Smith. He had hacked through so many demons… He had just finished wiping out a jail cell full of beastmen champions. Why they didn't open the door, he didn't know; he probably could have picked them off individually with his crossbow. But, he thought it was more sporting to open the door and slay them by hand. He shook his head. This had been a long day, and he needed to get back to camp. There was supposedly a waystone on the next level down… As he turned a corner, he saw several carvers, and sent his minions in for an easy kill. He had just grasped the finer points of how to use a skeleton mage, and it would help end this sooner than usual. As his minions moved in for the kill, he heard a hoarse roar that actually made him jump;

"I'll make weapons from your bones!"

Rashaban cursed heartily, and ducked back around the corner, crossbow in hand, as the Smith plowed into the room and smashed a skeleton. He had to get him more into the open… 'the next room should be good enough,' he thought. Rashaban rushed past the Smith, who was busy tearing apart his clay golem, and hurled a curse of weakness at him. The Smith, feeling its strength sapping away, grew all the more enraged, and ordered the carvers to attack. Almost as an afterthought, Rashaban plugged two of them between the eyes with his Teeth before getting into the other room, and he ordered his troops to fall back, as he made another golem and skeleton rise from the floor.

Spinning another curse of weakness, he readied his crossbow as his three minions poured towards the door. As soon as the Smith heaved his massive form under the frame, Rashaban shot, and unconsciously ordered his minions forward. He could tell that, although the Smith was weakened by his curse, he was barely wounded. This fight was far from over.

Kara was practically skipping along through the dungeon. Who knew that slaying demons would be this much…fun, wasn't the right word, but it was close. Such a rush! She had just discovered how to properly use a skill she had been after for quite a while; dodging arrows. When she had first learned it, it had worked, but she had been too clumsy to dodge. Now, it worked perfectly! She had finally figured out how to concentrate on each individual opponent's energies, and sense when they would fire. Knowing that, she was able to practically walk around their shots, as long as she concentrated. She could even do it and fire at the same time! She had used the skill first against what had seemed like a dozen skeletal archers that had been waiting to greet her at the door. She had simply focused, and walked among the flying shafts, taking one after another down, until no more came at her. It had been the biggest rush of her life! Then, she had used it on those pesky thorn rats, or whatever they were called. It was as if she had walked through a hailstorm, and only gotten nicked once or twice.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten, in the heat of the moment, that her Rogue companion did not have such a skill. She lay dead, shot full of holes by Dark Rogues and mobbed by carvers, while Kara was busy toying with more rats. That diversion had possibly saved Kara's life, and that had sobered her up at bit, but now that she had used her skills again and again to decimate so many skeletal archers… she was just getting carried away. She was already to the second level of the jail, (having passed by the turn to the Smithy completely) then she remembered that there was a waystone somewhere on the _first _level.

She shook her head, turned around, and went back up to search for it. She ran into nothing else on the way. As soon as she found it, she was about to activate it and go back to fill up on some more supplies, when she heard a commotion coming from somewhere above her. A horrible, demonic bellow, a curse, some crashes, and what sounded like a crossbow. All this was muted by the stone floor, but her superior hearing and senses picked it up. The curse had sounded familiar. Abandoning the waystone, she rushed up to the stairs, as fast as she could.

As soon as she got to the barracks, she could tell where the sounds were coming from. She rushed that way, and used her second sight to see exactly where the disturbance was. When she got to the corner, she readied her bow, nocked an arrow, and burst around the corner.

The bellow that met her highly attuned senses made her fall back a step.

"Your soul shall fuel my hellforge!" It was not just a yell, it was a wave of hatred that had struck her almost physically. She shook her head to clear it, and looked into the room. It was empty, then she saw Rashaban (in the back of her mind, she registered that it was him she had heard cursing.), backing out of the next room over, firing his crossbow, pausing occasionally to cast a spell or drink a potion. She could tell that, whatever he was fighting, he was having a tough time of it. Just then, she saw what had looked like a dead carver shaman rise from the floor, and glare evilly at Rashaban's back. She instinctively focused on him, to see when he would shoot his fireball, then she realized, too late, that he was aiming at Rashaban, and that he couldn't move that fast. She shot the shaman between the eyes with her already drawn bow, but it was too late, he had already loosed his fire ball.

Without even thinking about it, she acted. She rushed forward, and tackled Rashaban. Since she had been so focused on the fireball and her reflexes had been so fast, she had Rashaban on the ground a half second before the fireball would have scorched his back. Rashaban's crossbow shot went wild, and she suddenly realized that he had no idea she was here. With that thought, she felt a knife in her leg. As fast as her reflexes were, Rashaban knew how to react if he were tackled. In the instant he had felt himself fall, he had dropped his crossbow and drawn his knife with his free hand, without thinking, before stabbing the closest unarmored part of his enemy. Then, he had rolled out of the way, as his minions skipped a beat because of the mental interruption. Kara drew back in pain, and staggered to her feet, her bow still in hand, but her arrows spilling from her quiver. She could feel the poison slowly eating her leg away, clawing at her life force. She had been caught completely by surprise.

Rashaban got deftly to his feet after the roll, a curse on his lips and a bolt of magical power in his hand, before he recognized his assailant. He was dumbstruck. "What?" was all he could say. Kara looked him in the eyes, pleading, and he knew that there would be time for explanations later. He snapped his fingers, and Kara immediately felt the poison ebb way. Rashaban ran up to her, yanked his knife from her leg, and gave her one of his own healing potions. Then, there was a crash from the other room, he flinched, and Kara could tell that another of his minions was destroyed. "Come on. That's the Smith." Was all he said, before he ran to the door to check on the fight.

It was a poor idea. Rashaban's skeletal mage came flying through the door, smashing against him squarely. Rashaban was grazed before his instincts kicked in and the skeleton crumbled into dust against him. The Smith lumbered through the door after his improvised missile, a couple of carvers scurrying around his feet. With another bellow of hatred, he rushed Rashaban. The necromancer managed to hold up his shield, but just barely in time, and, rather than being knocked to the floor, he was taken to his knees. The carvers came in for the kill, but not before Kara shot them all down and pegged the Smith, two arrows coming off the bow at once; another skill she had recently gained. This gave Rashaban the chance to roll away once again. As Rashaban got to his feet, he quickly saw that the Smith had turned its attention to Kara. A fatal mistake. Rashaban drank a mana potion, and felt the magical strength surge back into him. Then, the carvers Kara had just shot rose up as skeletons to stab the Smith in the back, and a clay golem rose from the floor to bar its passing. And, once again, the Smith felt his limbs go numb as another curse from Rashaban held them down.

Kara was horrified at the monstrosity coming to crush her. She had shot at it before, but now that all its attention was on her, she felt a numbing terror. To add to it, her leg was still stunned. Shaking both of these feelings off with all her will, she nocked an arrow, and two came off the bow, headed right at the Smith's head. Then, she saw Rashaban's minions rise and surround the Smith. She wasted no time in getting to her wounded leg and escaping. Kara shot and shot and shot for what seemed like an eternity, until she was out of arrows; pulling magical ones from the ether once her quiver ran dry. Rashaban was quick to recover his crossbow and join in the fray. The Smith was massive, and his hide was thick, but he never could get past the golems that Rashaban would always raise, and eventually, with an ear-splitting bellow, the Smith fell. The day was theirs. As the Smith crashed to the floor, Rashaban muttered, "Quick, find the Malus." Kara ran on her still hurting leg, drank another potion for the pain, and entered the Smith's lair. The Malus stood out from its surroundings, shimmering with its own light. When she got back out, Rashaban was on his knees, his minions surrounding him. There was nothing else in the room.

"What's wrong?"

Rashaban had no reply. Suddenly his minions collapsed. Panicked, Kara used her Inner Sight to find his injury, and find it she did. Rashaban had taken a direct hit from the Smith before she had arrived, and had overtaxed himself by staying on his feet. Also, for some reason, because there was poison in him. Both of these, plus the second hit he had taken, had been too much for him, and he was out cold. Kara then realized that if she would have been too late to stop the fireball, Rashaban might have died just from that. Why he hadn't escaped with a town portal long ago, she didn't know. Speaking of which…she opened her bag, and reached for one. She unrolled it, and found the letters indecipherable. She rolled it shut with a curse. Something was stopping them from gating out. She wished Rashaban was at least still conscious; she sure could use some minions to help carry him. But, he was not conscious, so she heaved his arm around her shoulder, and started limping towards the stairs. If she could just make it to the jail, she could find the waystone, and they would be safe.

Rashaban was drifting in and out of consciousness. He had some vague feeling of being carried, and as soon as he felt that it wasn't a demon, he drifted back onto darkness.

Kara kept focusing with her second sight the entire way, and drinking stamina potions to keep up with the dead weight on her shoulder, but apparently everything had been either killed already or driven off by the death of the Smith. They made it to the waystone without incident. It activated like they always did.

She was very relieved when she made it back to camp, but then, realized that Rashaban was still back there; you had to be conscious to active a waystone! She immediately went back, and nothing was there, just Rashaban, still unconscious. She slapped his face, it did nothing. She poured water on his head, and he coughed, but did not awaken. Then, she had a different idea. She drew her knife, and put cold steel to his throat. The reaction was instinctual and immediate, and although his reflexive block didn't have any force behind it, Rashaban was now awake, if only slightly. "You're on a Waystone. Back to the rogues. Hurry." She whispered in his ear. Rashaban apparently understood, because he began to vanish. Kara immediately went with him.

Back at the camp, no one had noticed Kara blink onto the waystone, then immediately disappear. However, when she came back a second time, kneeling over Rashaban's body, everybody noticed. She forgot all about the Malus as they quickly gathered a crowd. She took Rashaban to the nearest bed, then ran to get Akara.


	12. The Aftermath

When Rashaban awoke, he was in his tent, with Kara by his side. His whole body felt weak, and his head was pounding.

"What happened?" was the first, immediate phrase out of his mouth.

Kara explained first how they had killed the Smith, and how, when she had found the Malus, she had come back and he was passed out. She apologized for putting a knife to his throat, but explained that it was the only way, and apologized again for tackling him. Rashaban understood this completely, but then noticed that his head was feeling a bit off, and decided that maybe he didn't. He was at odds with himself, and his head was still fuzzy. He had just been saved by a girl, twice, someone he barely knew. His head…everything was so fuzzy... he saw Kara look worried at his stony expression, and decided that, no matter what he felt like, she deserved his gratitude. He rolled it around in his head for a second, then mumbled,

"I…I'm still a bit confused right now. My head is spinning… I hardly know what you just said… Hold on a moment…"

While it was partly an act, it was partly true. He really didn't know what to say, and his head didn't seem to be working right. Kara just smiled, relived that he wasn't angry with her for almost getting them killed. She had saved him, but Rashaban could get pretty irrational at times.

"Of course. Just you rest." Kara gave him a bit of tea, and then left the tent. Rashaban was utterly struck with her for a moment as she left, but just put it down to his fuzzy head, and went to sleep, lulled by the tea.

As soon as Kara left, she stumbled on her leg. It still wasn't feeling well…she went to her own bed, and laid down. They were both lucky to be alive… but, she noticed as she drifted off, no one came to see her and give _her_ tea. Little did she know that the Rogues were intentionally giving her a wide berth, because everyone else had read quite a bit more into her dramatic entrance than either of the two heroes had.

\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Rashaban awoke in the morning, feeling terrible. He groaned as he sat up.

'Where am I?'

'My tent at the Rogue encampment.'

'How did I get here?'

He moaned again; as his arm felt as if it were about to fall off, and he felt what must be broken ribs. Akara pushed her head into the tent. "Greetings. You are awake, I take it?"

Rashaban could only nod weakly.

"Good. I'll go get Kara."

Rashaban was about to ask why, but thought better of it and just let Akara leave.

'Kara? Why would I want to see Kara? She's just some Amazon that likes to fly over the wall and yells at me all the time for not killing enough midgets…'

"All right, Rashaban," he said to himself, aloud; what's the last thing you remember?"

"Well, trudging through the Monastery, running into the Smith, trying to lure him into the open…taking a bad hit without bone armor…idiot…then…I was tackled…and I… stabbed Kara? What? That doesn't make any sense.'

He shook his head. That's couldn't be right. What was she doing there, and why was he stabbing her? He shook his head again, but the memory remained. Him, getting up from the ground, and seeing his dagger sticking out of Kara's leg, the poison already visibly spreading. What then? Then, raising his shield against another hit by the Smith, then…nothing. Not a thing.

'Well, Kara certainly has some explaining to do.' he thought angrily. 'Or conversely,' he thought with a shudder, 'I have some explaining to do to Kara. Why did I stab her? And how did I get back here?!' He decided to wait for an explanation, and lay back down in the meantime.

Akara came and woke Kara from a sound slumber.

"Your friend is awake." She said.

"Oh! Good!" Kara leapt from bed and immediately regretted it, landing on her still hurting leg, as she did, pain seemed to radiate from it to her entire body. Akara had not been able to treat it fully.

"How is he?"

"He is weak, as one who has almost died would be."

Kara quickly covered the ground in the brisk morning air. She peeked inside his tent.

"Good morning!"

"Aagh!" was the only reply, from the light and noise.

"Oh, come on, you can't feel that bad!"

Rashaban sat up slowly, and blearily focused his eyes on her.

"I…hold on a moment." Kara dutifully did, as he slowly rose to a full sitting position and seemed to compose himself.

Rashaban was a little more awake now, and even though it took an effort, he focused his vision on the enigma before him and his mind on reality. "Kara, I'm very, very confused. The last thing I remember is fighting the Smith, taking a bad hit, making a tactical retreat, and then…" he flushed a little at this, "stabbing you in the leg. Then more fighting, and not much after that. Now, first and foremost, did I stab you, or am I hallucinating?"

Kara was taken by surprise at his concern. "Yes, you did but…"

"Let me see your leg." He interrupted with urgency.

Ordinarily, Kara would have used her leg on a man asking such a thing, but under the circumstances, she pulled up her pants to let him see the wound. Part of Rashaban jumped at this idea, but he shoved this part forcibly aside as he examined the wound. Wordlessly, he put his two fingers to the cut and concentrated. Kara immediately began to feel better, the pain in her leg easing away almost completely. Rashaban kept at this for quite a while, until she began to almost suspect him of ulterior motives.

"Uhh…Rashaban…"He silenced her with a finger. Then, he took his dagger, and informed her "Brace yourself. This is going to hurt.", before he opened the wound once more. As he did, a black, viscous liquid flowed from the wound back into the dagger.

Kara braced herself against the pain, but still she cried out a bit. Strangely, no one came to see what was the matter, but she wasn't thinking about that right then.

"Make it stop." She growled through clenched teeth.

"Almost done," he whispered back through his concentration. After what seemed like an hour, but was in reality less than a minute, the liquid stopped flowing, and was replaced by blood. He quickly closed the wound with a healing potion. "Sorry," he said. "Special blend. That stuff should have killed you."

"Wait a minute. If you had to take the poison out of me today, what did you do back there?"

"I don't know, what did I do?"

"Well, you saw that it was me, snapped your fingers, and flinched a bit, I suppose. Then I felt better."

Rashaban was dumbfounded for a moment, then realized what he had done. "When I removed it just now, I was focused, and slowly removed and nullified the essence. Back there, I couldn't focus, so it was a shoddy job. I grabbed as much essence as I could from a distance, without nullifying it. I didn't get it all, and some of it backlashed and hit me."

He continued, "Now, let's go back to the beginning, because I'm still lost. Why did I stab you?"

Kara recounted how she had found him fighting the Smith, modestly downplaying how she had saved his life, and focusing on tackling him.

The necromancer nodded. "It would have been a lot simpler if you had just blocked the hit yourself. Maybe with your buckler." It was not an accusation, just a statement.

Kara was taken aback. She had saved his life, and how he was saying how she should have just taken the hit? She knew he could be a bit arrogant at times, but…

'At least he recognizes that I saved his life', she thought. 'He just has to see how everything could have been perfect,' she told herself. That behind them, she told him what a valiant job he had done, how amazing it had looked when he had evaporated his own mage right in front of him to avoid the hit (he looked rather proud of himself at that, even though he didn't remember it.) And how they had both shot the Smith until he died, how he had kept golems up as distractions until they could finish him. How he had reminded her of the Malus, and how he had passed out. She, again, modestly glossed over carrying him all the way down to the second level to find the waystone, then apologized for waking him with cold steel, and how he had managed to use the waystone. And, now, it was the next day.

Rashaban sat in silence for a moment, to take it all in. He had bitten off more than he could chew, and Kara, the irrepressible harpy, had come to the rescue. He had apparently tapped into some inner reserve of strength to complete the battle, that explained his loss of memory, and even though his minions had been instrumental in finishing the Smith, he would surely have fallen without Kara's help. Shot in the back by an enemy he thought was dead. Then, after the battle was over, he had collapsed in a heap, only to be rescued a second time. And Kara, for some reason, had not held these things over his head; she had glossed over them like they were nothing.

He didn't know what to say, but he knew he had to say something.

"Well?", Kara prompted.

"Well, first of all, I'd like to apologize for throwing you over the wall. The next time the camp is attacked, I will go and help, no matter what it is."

They both chuckled and flushed at bit at that, Kara especially. "And…and, I don't know. I've never been saved before. How _do_ you go about thanking someone who saved your life twice in a row?"

"Oh, it's not as much as all that. After all, if I had fought the Smith myself, I wouldn't have lasted two seconds."

Rashaban couldn't argue with that. "So, ummmm. I really don't know how to thank you. Is there anything I could do?"

"Well, not really. Charsi is going to use the Malus to imbue our weapons, so as soon as you can get up, go and get some of Warriv's breakfast, and head on over there. That's where I'm going now." Rashaban, nodded, and suddenly felt how tired he was.

Kara shrugged. "Well, I'm glad you're better. See you later."

Rashaban was about to say that he was glad to have his life saved, but she was already gone.

Kara was taken aback when Charsi first offered to imbue a weapon. She had just given her the Malus, Rashaban was still out, and she said she would wait until later.

Even the next morning, she still didn't know.

Charsi walked up to her with a gleam in her eye. "Decided yet?" She obviously wanted to get back to using her hammer.

"Well, I"...she stammered. Taken aback, Kara looked into her pack. What did she always use? Javelins wouldn't work. Maybe a bow, maybe she could do some armor? She was just surprised, and knew Charsi wouldn't want to wait to use her precious Malus. Looking around, she spotted the knife in its sheath that she had brought from home. It was serving her well now, but she knew that some time in the future, she would need something better. No time like the present.

"Do you have a dirk, by any chance? Charsi smiled. "Why, yes, I think I do." They headed back to her forge, and she rummaged around, and slid out a dirk. When Kara picked it up, she could tell immediately that it was of superior craftsmanship, well balanced and strong.

"Did you make this?" she asked, not meaning to be rude but still surprised.

Charsi blushed. She was not used to receiving such compliments; most people, including the rest of the Rogues, just paid for their goods and left. Gheed sometimes told her that her things were made well, but this was different.

"I spent quite a while on it." She managed.

"All right, this is the one. Show me what that hammer can do."

While Charsi was working, Kara told her of the horrible Smith, how she and Rashaban had worked together to defeat it.

Charsi smiled the whole time, very glad that her hammer was back in her possession. When she was finished, she handed the dirk back to Kara with a fire in her eyes. "Use this to send Andariel back to the Hell she came from," were her only words.

Kara put it aside in her stash, and vowed never to remove it until she had found Andariel.

Rashaban slowly awoke, and decided the best thing to do for the moment was forget about the day before, and get his weapon imbued. Shoving the thoughts of the battle with the Smith from his mind, he stewed the question over. What should he have Charsi do? A wand would be no good, so it was either a crossbow or a dagger. He looked over, and saw that Kara was having a dirk imbued. 'Well', he said to himself jokingly, 'if an Amazon can do without a magical bow, so can I.' Also, Charsi had imbued Solmo's dagger, and he had apparently liked it.

When Charsi was done, Rashaban walked up to her, and asked her for the best dagger she had. When she pulled it out, he nodded, and handed it back to her. "This will do fine."

"You like it?" Charsi asked, hoping for another compliment.

"What do you mean?" Rashaban asked, genuinely confused. "I've never gotten anything of poor make from you."

Charsi shook her head inwardly. When all you gave was excellence, people came to expect it. She chose to take his remark as a compliment, smiled, and got to work. As she began, she said, "You took quite a beating down there."

Rashaban nodded ruefully. "I still feel like the living dead." They both chuckled a bit at his little pun. "But, I made it out alive, thanks to Kara." He did not consider the implications of what he had said; it was the simple truth. "Just out of curiosity, how would you go about thanking someone who had just saved your life?" Charsi shrugged, and kept at her work. Part of her did not want to become involved in the latest bit of camp drama. When she was finished, she looked at Rashaban. On the one hand, he was still in pretty bad shape, but she knew he would be back on his feet. On the other, how he had been beaten so easily by the Smith, who was only a mere lieutenant…

She had different words for him. As she handed him his new dagger, she looked him in the eyes, and said, "If you are the hero you say you are, now is the time to prove it."

Rashaban took the dagger back to his stash, and told himself that it would stay there until he could kill Andariel with it.


	13. Back In Business

After the incident with the Smith, they both laid low for a while, perhaps a week, until they fully recovered from their wounds. Then, about that time, Kayasha began to give reports of increased demon activity. More and more Rogues were being lost in the field every day. Kara and Rashaban had not realized until now their role in thinning the monsters' ranks. Even though they had lain dormant for a week, each now knew that they needed to get back to work. As they sat around the fire for dinner on the ninth day, Kayasha was beginning to show her impatience, but neither of them seemed to notice.

They both knew they needed to get back to the field, but they were reluctant. Rashaban was still feeling defeated, and despite his initial gratitude, the fact that he had been saved by a girl was eating at him. He had, in slow degrees, recovered a little more of his memory, and he had very mixed feelings about his actions. He didn't feel guilty about stabbing Kara, and she held nothing against him, they both knew the circumstances. What concerned him was his combat ability. On the plus side, being able to stab Kara in the first place, whether he had wanted to or not, was a great show of progress as far as his dagger work was concerned. And, he still did not quite remember it, but shattering his own skeleton mage before it hit him was quite a feat, as well.

However, despite this, he had done several things wrong. First, he had failed to use his bone armor, and that had been an almost fatal mistake. If he had been using it, the tide of battle may have changed. Also, his skeletons were weak, and as much as he liked his current one, he needed a new, more powerful crossbow. Using this one had built up his strength a lot more than he wanted to admit, and Charsi had one with a crank, rather than a ratchet system, that could take more tension. These were the main things that needed to be improved upon, and he kept going over Kara's testimony and his own fragmented memories, looking for something else; he found a list that basically included all of his abilities. If he could not defeat the Smith on his own, he had no hope against Andariel, and he knew it.

Kara wanted to get back out in the field and mollify Kayasha, but she kept dwelling on several things about the battle with the Smith. The first was how helpless she would have been alone. She had only her bow, and she would have eventually been cornered. She might have been able to slip away and fire from a distance, but that would have lasted only until the Smith could summon more monsters and trap her for good. Also, she still had the old hunter's bow the Rouges had given her. It was solid and faithful, but she needed something more. Now, if she had had her javelins, then maybe it would have been a different story, but it still would have been almost impossible for her to win.

The second, more all consuming thought, however, was how Rashaban had stabbed her. She didn't feel any ill will towards him; how was he supposed to know she was there? It had merely been a combat reflex. However, she should have been able to avoid it. Granted, she had been preoccupied saving his life at the moment, but she had never even seen it coming. That was unacceptable.

On the morning of the tenth day, they awoke, and after they ate breakfast, Kara took Rashaban aside to her tent, and told him of her troubles about the stabbing.

"Well, you can hardly account for everything.", he had replied. "You were focusing on the fireball at the time, you can only do so many things at once."

Kara had shaken her head. "But, if I want to defeat Andariel, I'll need to be able to keep track of everything around me at the same time."

Rashaban nodded, and confessed his own problems. "Well, we're getting nowhere just sitting here. How about a training session? Let's grab some spare Rogues, and head on out. We'll thin out the beasts a little, and test our skills against each other. We need something to snap us out of this."

Kara agreed, although she wasn't quite sure that one training session would do it. As they stood up, she felt cold steel against her leg. Rashaban looked at her gravely.

"You do need work. Your reflexes are dull."

"Well, I wasn't expecting anything just now!"

"That's the point, now that we've killed the Smith, Andariel might send assassins into the camp. They managed to steal the Malus, didn't they? You need to be alert at all times." He gave a wan smile. "Don't worry, I'm horrible about it, too, but you Amazons are supposed to excel at it."

Gruffly, Kara walked out with him. He was right, of course. She did need to be more aware of her surroundings. She knew that he wasn't, but she should have set the example. Shaking her head, they both went off to see Kayasha.

They were surprised when she rejected their request with a confused smile.

"Why do you need my Rogues?" She had asked, utterly puzzled.

"Because, frankly, we almost lost to the Smith. We aren't going hunting, we just need more practice. To get back on our feet, you know." Rashaban muttered.

Kayasha could tell that he was still pretty bent out of shape about the whole ordeal, and Kara looked, to an extent, the same way. So, why were they looking for Rogues, why didn't they just lick each other's wounds and get on with things?, she wondered. Perhaps they weren't…no, that was impossible. Anybody who had been through what those two had been through, and who were together as much as they were… she shook her head slightly. Whatever their little problem was, they had to learn to face it on their own. If that meant she had to push them a little, so be it. Besides, if they did 'Solve their problem.', she didn't want her Rogues to be in the way.

"I send out my Rogues to protect this camp, not to fiddle with petty training. Do whatever you want, but not with my Rogues; they have more important tasks to attend to. As an afterthought, she added, "And don't let me catch the two of you practicing inside the camp, either. I have enough disturbances as it is."

Taken aback, the two of them found that Kayasha was in no mood to be quarreled with, and left.

"What was her problem?" Rashaban asked.

"Beats me." Kara had picked up on the phrase, 'the two of you', but dismissed it as her temper.

They got a fair distance away from the camp, and found a few zombies to kill and use for Rashaban's skeletons.

"Now, first, let's take care of this stabbing problem.", said Rashaban. He pulled out his dagger. "Now, I'm going to try and stab you as well as I possibly can, no poison this time, but you will get cut. Don't hit back, just try and deflect my blows."

Kara nodded. Rashaban came at her, slowly at first, but eventually as fast and as he could, using all the tricks they had taught him, and a few he had picked up himself. Each of his attacks met either empty space or her buckler. 'Now, the real test', he thought to himself, and Kara tripped over a suddenly risen patch of ground. She regained her balance quickly, while blocking Rashaban's attack in the same instant.

'Good,' he thought, 'two actions at once. Now let's try for three.' He did the same thing, coming at her with all his technique, but this time, not only did the ground rise up to trip her, a skeletal had reached up to grab the opposite foot. She dodged the first two attacks, but the skeleton caught her foot, and as she tried to target the thin arm with her javelin, another grabbed the other foot.

"All right, that's enough. You see what you did wrong?"

Kara nodded. "I was focused too much on one thing at a time. I know how to fix that."

"All right, then, let's start over."

This time, she dodged all his attacks, even the ones going for her feet, and Rashaban could tell that she wasn't just second guessing him. Her sixth sense was retuning. A week of doing nothing had dulled it considerably, and that was what she needed to focus on.

"Good, I think that's ok." Rashaban said, breathing hard. "How do you feel?"

Kara laughed, a bit winded herself, but feeling more alive than she had for a week. "Much better now."

"Think I could stab you again?"

She smirked. "Not a chance."

"All right, then. You've been out of it for a week, let's make sure you've still got the hang of dodging things." He backed up thirty paces, and pulled out his crossbow.

Without warning, he fired, right at her.

And hit only air.

"Good."

He walked forward ten paces, and shot. Again, one moment she was in one place, another, right beside it.

He took another ten steps towards her, and fired repeatedly. She almost walked around each shot with unnatural speed. A skeleton mage rose ten paces behind her, and added its magical bolts to the fray. A look of concentration crossed Kara's face, but she was able to avoid each shot. Then, Rashaban threw in a twist. In between crossbow shots, he fired his magical teeth, two bolts a shot, and though she panicked once and took a hit, she never took another. They kept it up until Rashaban ran out of strength. She had dodged four separate missile attacks, for fifteen minutes, at ten paces.

"Enough," Rashaban laughed. "_That_ skill apparently hasn't dulled much."

They took a break for a while, then Kara asked "All right, how to _you_ propose to deal with arrows? I can dodge them, but what will you do?"

Rashaban shrugged, backed up ten paces, and said "Let's find out. Fire away."

Kara took careful aim, and fired. He wasn't going to dodge _that_.

A thin veil of bone and ash sprung up around the mage, breaking the arrow off in its flight. Her second arrow stuck in a clay golem that thrust up from the ground not a second too soon.

"Not bad, not bad. Now that we're warmed up, we should go and thin out the horde. Kayasha's been on the warpath about it." Rashaban suggested.

Kara got a sly look. "What about this? We go into town, stock up on supplies, and take the battle right to their door? We still have the waypoint in the jail. That might not stop the advancements on the camp, but it will sure make them think twice."

Rashaban looked skeptical, but there was a gleam in his eye. "Are you sure?"

"Of course! I want to experiment with a new weapon first, but I say we go. We've been cooped up in bed for so long, that we need a challenge, not just the rabble around here."

Rashaban heartily agreed.

When they got into town everybody seemed to be giving them sideways looks, although neither of them could figure out what for. Kara's experiment was to take three jewels she had lying around her stash, and insert them into a socketed long bow. The resulting fire and ice weapon turned out quite well, indeed. She gave her old hunter's bow to Charsi with instructions to take good care of it, which she accepted with a smile.

Then, as they met back up at the waystone, they decided that perhaps a Rogue or two would serve them well. Even with Kayasha's mood, she couldn't very well refuse them on this particular trip.

However, she did. Her previous logic still held, even if she did not say it out loud. Somewhat put off, they both went back to the waystone, nodded to each other, and vanished.

As soon as they left, practically the entire camp was alive with gossip about the two. Akara shook her head. Solmo had never caused this much trouble.

As they appeared, they were instantly on alert. They hacked their way through carvers and beastmen, spirits and skeletons. And although they were both out of practice, with the other nearby, it seemed effortless compared to going it alone.

Eventually they reached the Inner Cloister, and found a dead rogue right next to the waystone. Whether she had been killed getting off or had been denied escape, they could not tell, but Rashaban gave her a quick ritual while Kara slid through a hailstorm of rat quills to slay the monsters behind it. Rashaban's minions followed her, taking the hits in stride, and helped her wipe them out. After they had cleared the rest of the cloister, the only other exit stood before them. It was a large, ornate set of double doors, with a stained glass window above them. "The cathedral.", Kara said in a mixture of awe and dread.

"I wonder what Andariel has done with the place", Rashaban answered dryly, as they both pushed open a door, not quite knowing what to expect.

Unfortunately for their morbid sense of curiosity, it was mostly dark. Unnaturally dark. They could only see dim outlines, even with their night vision. It wasn't long before they were beset by glowing spirits. After dispatching those, they had to pick off small groups of demons as they wandered through a maze of broken pews, and, when they finally reached the center, they were disgusted with what had become of the altar.

The cloth awning was torn and bloodied, blood spattered the altar itself, and the braziers for a ceremonial fire were now filled with churning blood. Rashaban resisted the urge to kick them over, knowing full well that without the proper cleansing ritual, it would do no good.

"Let's go, "he muttered to Kara.

They descended the steps to the catacombs, and found nothing but more blood smears. They faced carvers and rat men, even the monstrous misshapen. At one point, Rashaban had to drop the wand he was holding and pick up a dropped scimitar, just to ward off his attackers. Kara found a unique sword, with an aura of power all its own. (Later, when they returned it to Deckard Cain, they found that nobody in the camp, them included, was strong enough to wield it. They promptly sold it to Gheed, who of course, scammed them.) The first level of the catacombs was long but simple. One thing about the demons was that they never changed their tactics; they all seemed to be cast from the same mold. Once they got the hang of killing them, it seemed there was nothing to it. When they got to the second level, things still seemed to be going well.

However, there was a pervasive feeling of something being, just, well, wrong, whenever they attempted to sense the energies around them. They had both felt it ever since coming to this land, and had learned from Deckard Cain that this marked Andariel's influence. It had gotten steadily stronger as they neared the monastery but, just like a bad smell, they had learned to ignore it. As soon as they stepped off the stairs onto the second level, however, it became something more. Something was just…not right. They looked at each other, and nodded. Supposedly there was a waystone down here, the most distant one from the camp. They would get to that and leave. No more hunting, no more practice, no more anything. It had been a long day, the first activity they had had for a while, and it was beginning to show. As they stalked through the corridors, they noticed several holes in the walls. But, why would you make a hole in the wall when you were underground? Then, after they had dispatched a pack of carvers, Kara walked over to a certain hole in the floor, and stopped dead in her tracks.

Sending his minions to cover the doors, Rashaban stepped closer. He began to ask what the matter was, when he stopped too. The hole was filled with blood. Seething, bubbling, boiling blood. The hole was about three feet square. Rashaban picked up a carver shaman's discarded staff, and tried to probe how deep it was. The staff was swallowed in its entirety. Only then did they understand; Andariel was not making multiple gateways to hell whenever she wanted minions, she was slowly transforming the Monastery itself into a solid portal. If she were successful, then… the consequences would be dire. They both shuddered, and kept moving. They saw more and more of the holes, but never tried to probe their depths again. When they finally found the waystone, it was a great relief, and they quickly scanned the room for any remaining monsters before activating it and vanishing.

When they returned to camp, they looked beat. They had blood stains everywhere, mostly from the Misshapen, burn marks from fire and lightning, and haggard looks about them. Every potion bottle they had was empty. They were completely worn out. The first thing they noticed was that it was completely dark; they had lost all sense of time in the depths. Most of the camp was asleep, so they washed quickly, had a bite of cold dinner, and exchanged triumphant looks before crashing out. They were back in business.


	14. Mop Up Chore

The next day at breakfast, around the fire, Kayasha was unimpressed with their little excursion. "While you were off gallivanting, we were attacked last night, and it wasn't just zombies. We could have used your help.", she almost sneered.

Kara looked shocked and a little crestfallen; Rashaban looked indignant.

"Gallivanting?" he stammered in incredulity, "We were infiltrating the Monastery! Your old home, remember? The one you've been trying to take back for just about a year, now? Well, I've got some news for you: while you and your army of Rogues were taking potshots at a couple of demons from_ behind your walls_, we were out there hacking through to the real threat."

Kayasha remained stony faced.

"I've got some other news for you. Andariel isn't just holding the Monastery; she's trying to turn it into a solid portal back to hell!", and he recounted the tale of the blood pools.

Kayasha looked stunned, but Deckard Cain and Akara did not.

"Solmo told me of it", Akara whispered. "We hoped to reverse the damages, but then he was taken from our world, and Andariel returned, as though he had never been."

"And you never told me?" Kayasha whispered back, her face a picture of sorrow.

"We hoped it would end after Solmo's victory, and you would be spared the pain of the knowledge.", Akara continued.

"Anyway", Rashaban interrupted, "we were down there, hacking through some real demons without a wall between us and them, taking the battle to their front door! No thanks to you, since you won't let us have any Rogues!" Rashaban got to his feet. "So I don't want to hear about how we weren't here to help you stave off a few third rate weaklings!"

The circle went deathly silent. Only the crackling of the fire could be heard. Kara thought Rashaban's words were a bit harsh, but they made perfect sense. However, she sensed something else was wrong.

Kayasha turned to him, without getting up. "Since you know so much about the attack, then who were we attacked by?"

Rashaban shrugged. "The usual rabble, I suspect. Zombies, skeletons, devilkin, maybe even a few of those big apes. Nothing the famed Sisters of the Sightless Eye couldn't handle. Tell me, Kayasha, were you attacked by the rat men and the dark ones? We cut down _several groups_ of those, Or, was it, perhaps, the Misshapen? Were you dodging the lightning those things can-"

"We were attacked by Dark Sisters." Kayasha cut him off abruptly, without taking her eyes from the fire. "Of all breeds. I'm sure you killed some of them down there, too." Her face was a mask of stone.

Rashaban failed to realize the significance for a second, but when he did, he snorted and took his seat.

"Now, now now, there's no need to be hasty here," Gheed offered from across the fire. "I think both sides here have had a little…misinformation, that's all."

"Yes." Kara piped up. "Rashaban, you owe her and the rest of the Rogues an apology."

Rashaban stared at his plate, suddenly caught. He had been insulted only a second ago, and how somehow _he_ was in the wrong. That didn't seem right. And, yet, they had to kill their own…a whole wave of them…

"I'm sorry." He muttered. "I didn't know… that was who you faced."

He suddenly felt ashamed, calling them cowards who hid behind walls, when they were forced to fire on their own friends and kin.

He was looking for more words, when Warriv chimed in, "That's all right, you had no way of knowing. If you had, you never would have said a thing." He turned to Kayasha. "However, I think you owe them an apology, as well. They have gotten farther than almost anyone has before, down into the depths."

After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Kara had in inspiration. "No apology needed, we understand. Right, Rashaban?" He nodded in sullen agreement.

She continued. "Well, since we were _not _there to help, I propose this: our work yesterday didn't touch the forces on the surface, but it may have put a damper on their next attack. I say we take a quick jaunt down to the catacombs, cause some more trouble, and then head back to the black marsh by waystone. Once there, we'll 'find our way back to camp', without it. It will be a long trek and a long fight, but it will definitely help thin out the ranks. They won't even _think_ of attacking for weeks afterward, their numbers will be so cut back." She looked around the fire, and gave a winning, peacemaker smile. "Who's with me?"

Several Rogues got up from their seats, but Kayasha stayed them with her hand. "No." She turned to Rashaban. "I know you regret your foolish words, now that you know what really happened. But, if you really want to apologize, then _you_ will go on this mission. _Alone._ If and when you come back, I will accept your apology."

His face projected a mask of humility, but inwardly, Rashaban seethed. "The arrogance of this woman! He was doing more than she had been able to in a year, and she had the gall to send _him_ on a foolish mop up chore?! All on account of her insulting _him_ in the first place!" Then, he reminded himself that, if he was forced to murder his own kin, he would not be in a rational mood, himself.

With a considerable amount of self control, he got up from the fire. "Fair enough. I had no right to say what I did. I'll be through the front entrance by nightfall. Don't shoot me." With that, he scurried off towards his tent, his gait carefully calculated to give the impression that he wanted to leave Kayasha's presence for his insult, but his mind screaming for him to explode on her. One he reached his tent, he took a deep, calming breath, and grabbed his crossbow.

"Wait!" called Charsi as he walked out. "Your quiver, it's almost empty." She ran to get him some more crossbow bolts. He thanked her, stepped onto the waystone, and vanished.

Taking things in stride and admitting his mistake had obviously turned the majority opinion in Rashaban's favor. "Why did you make him go alone?" demanded Kara.

"He said it himself. He had no right to say what he did. When he saw what a fool he had made of himself, his pride forced him to go along. He deserves it," Kayasha intoned listlessly. This little victory gave her no comfort.

However, most everyone else could see where Rashaban had been coming from, and their hopefulness that he would turn out to be the next Solmo had far outweighed their irritation at his outburst. After he had been gone for two hours, Kara approached Kayasha, javelins in hand. "I'm going to make sure he's all right. Can I have some Rogue volunteers?"

"No. Go if you want, I can't stop you, but I told him it was going to be alone."

"Why are you being so stubborn? You know full well that he didn't mean what he said, not after he knew what really happened! You also know full well that he's been farther down into the depths than anyone!"

"Rogues have made it farther down."

Kara glared, genuinely angry at Kayasha's stubbornness. "Have they come back?"

Kayasha was silent.

Kara threw her hands up in exasperation. "Why won't you let me take a volunteer?"

"Why do you keep asking?"

Kayasha, actually, had calmed down a bit since breakfast, and had gotten herself under control. She understood completely Rashaban's indignation, and thought he had handled the situation well enough. That was exactly why she was refusing Kara any aid. Which would he rather have, Kara come to his aid alone, or Kara and a third wheel? Kayasha did not understand why they kept asking for Rogues to come along, when all they would be was a nuisance.

"If you want to go, then go. Have fun."

Kara looked exasperated, then walked off towards the waystone.

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"DAMN THAT WOMAN!!!!" Rashaban yelled out loud for the umpteenth time as he hacked his way through the catacombs. Whereas Kayasha had regained her self control, Rashaban was beginning to lose it.

"Where does she get off??!?!" he growled as he shot a carver through the head with his magical teeth. He had used his crossbow for a while, then given up because he was to angry to shoot straight. He tried his dagger, but he kept making sloppy mistakes, so he had grabbed a wand and contented himself with channeling his anger through his new army of minions. Frustrated, he found that he had gone too far into unexplored territory to just "make some more trouble," as Kara had planned, so he headed back. Black Marsh, he thought to himself, as he touched the proper rune, concentrated, and vanished.

One there, he found a fork in the road, and his minions seemed to want to take the left. He shrugged, and headed off that way. As the day went on, he ran into quite a few warbands composed primarily of Dark Sisters and their ilk, and this calmed him somewhat. Partly because he understood better now what the Rogues had gone through, and partly because he had taken out his dagger again, and was imagining Kayasha's face every time he stabbed a Dark Sister.

Soon after Rashaban had left the catacombs, Kara showed up. She followed his trail until it ended (which was quite a while), then blazed one of her own, looking for him. When she came up empty handed, she too realized that she had done a little more than "cause a little trouble," and she headed back to the waystone. Once she got to the Black Marsh, she shrugged and took the right fork.

Rashaban could see the rogue encampment. He had hacked though many, many Dark Sisters, a few bands of beastmen, and he didn't know how many carver camps. In the underground passage, he had found camps with quite a few dead rogues, and from then on, his hard feelings towards Kayasha began to slip away. One thing was occurring to him, though. The creatures in the catacombs had presented a challenge, but nothing could stand in his way here. His minions alone could take on overwhelming numbers, with no help whatsoever from him, and come out on top with no casualties.

He sighed. This whole day had been a fruitless waste of time and energy; he wasn't learning anything new, wasn't even getting any good practice wading through these weaklings.

'But,' a thought did occur to him; 'if I can just wade through these masses without blinking an eye, then how powerful have I really become?' (He was thinking this as he unconsciously cleared the path ahead with his minions.)

'If the Rogues are worried about a few Dark Sisters, then how powerful are, they, really?'

'No no, that's absurd,' he told himself. 'The Rogues were having a hard time because they were shooting at their former comrades, not because they're weak.'

'But,' he responded, 'then why haven't they infiltrated anywhere?'

'They have; you see bodies all the time.'

'But, why don't they travel in groups, just like the demons?'

'Because Kayasha doesn't want to risk them all being killed at once.'

'That makes sense, but…' He shook his head.

Lost in thought, he nodded to Flavie in her hiding post as he came back through the Blood Moor. He had no real desire to take on any of the Rogues or compare himself to them, it was just an interesting observation, he told himself.

'And, no matter how much I may want to show that wench Kayasha what I think of her little mission, I will not even entertain the option,' he vowed as he entered the camp.

As soon as he returned, he approached Kayasha, his face again a mask of humility, but after considering how she must feel, it was no longer so forced.

"Mission accomplished. It will take them a while to regain their numbers. May I officially apologize for my outburst this morning?"

Kayasha smirked. "No need. I'd actually like to thank you for taking on this task. By the way, did you find Kara?"

Rashaban's blank stare gave away the answer. "What about her?"

"She went to find you, make sure you were all right."

He looked a little surprised. "Well, that was nice of her, but I'm fine. All she has to do is follow the trail of dead demons."

Kayasha nodded, perplexed at his attitude.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to go a see what Warriv has cooking, whatever it is, it smells good, and I'm starved!"

Again Kayasha nodded, and he strolled off, leaving his minions in a pile.

"Well, that could have gone worse." He muttered to himself, as he went to look for Warriv.

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Kara did not, in fact, follow the trail of dead demons. Having taken the wrong fork, she went on an entirely different path, although it was the same underground passage. And, while she did run into a few Dark Sisters, and quite few carvers, the real problem was the birds. As soon as she exited the underground passage, the foul crows seemed to be everywhere, along with masses of zombies. Rashaban apparently had gone the _other_ way, because not a single one of them had been touched. They were obviously gathering for a huge assault on the camp. After quite a bit of out of the way searching, she finally found the cluster of foul crow nests, and destroyed them. Then, burning her way through the zombies with fire arrows, she eventually made it to Flavie, who informed her that Rashaban had already been through, a few hours ago.

Kara nodded, and headed back to camp. She was a little relieved, but she had never really had any doubts in the first place. Come to think of it, it had been a lot easier for her this time around. She really _was_ getting stronger. It hadn't seemed that way, since the demons got stronger the closer they came to Andariel, but it hadn't really hit her until she came back through this way and had no trouble at all. When she eventually got to camp, Kara saw that dinner was almost gone, since it was getting dark, but Warriv had saved her some.

Rashaban was sitting by the fire, sharpening his knife. He nodded to her.

"Thanks for looking for me."

Kara laughed, and told him how she had taken the other way, and taken out the crows. Rashaban snorted. "No offense, you did a good job finding them, but I don't think it would have been too much of a problem for the Rogues to handle, even if the sky was black with the little buggers."

Kara agreed. It had been a simple task, but finding them had been the hard part. She also knew that Rashaban was being generous with his comments about the Rogues, to smooth over anything left over from the morning. Unfortunately, she saw, none of the Rogues seemed to notice that, or any of his other compliments. They seemed to be ignoring them, giving them a wide berth even.

She excused herself and went up to one, Anna, that she knew, and explained that Rashaban really didn't mean anything, and they didn't have to ignore him; he was trying to be nice. Anna just gave a little laugh, patted her on the shoulder, and said "Don't worry, we get it.", before walking away. 'What had that been about?', she wondered. _She_ certainly didn't get it. 'Oh, well.'

It was getting late, and they all slowly filtered off to bed.


	15. Winter

A few raids later, it began to get colder. Rashaban and Kara inquired about the weather and Akara simply informed them, "The winter here is like a thief. It comes hard, fast, and then leaves before you even knew it was there."

Initially puzzled by this, they soon found out the meaning behind her words.

A fierce snowstorm ravaged the land, making raids by either side impossible. It lasted for days, then weeks; half a month went by before it seriously let up. The land was buried in snow drifts of at least five feet; the Rogue Encampment survived only because of its walls, and the demons all fled to the confines of the Monastery or the scattered caves.

That left the Rogues and their guests bored stiff, huddling in tents, and rationing their meager food stocks. It wasn't long before Rashaban decided to use his waystone in the Monastery to raid, but as he approached, two Rogue guards barred his path.

"Kayasha says to meet with her before any waystone use is attempted."

Scowling, Rashaban sloughed of through the snow to Kayasha's tent.

When asked, Kayasha forbade it.

"Think of it this way. With all those demons cooped up in there, the only thing they have to fight is each other. I wouldn't be surprised if the more powerful ones will stage an uprising against Andariel, for lack of anything else to fight. They will all be killed, of course, and they will weaken Andariel in the process. If you go down there, that will just give them something to unify against. It happened that way last time, and it will happen that way again."

Unable to argue with that, Rashaban asked, "Well, then, what else am I supposed to do? This is driving me crazy!"

"Go and talk to Kara."

Rashaban cocked his head. "Huh?"

Kayasha decided to drop the subject. "Study your spell books?"

Rashaban shrugged and wandered off.

He eventually did just that. After studying his spellbooks to the point where he couldn't get any farther in them, he decided to go and talk to Kara, for something to do if nothing else. She was just as bored as he was, and they ended up just talking in her tent, which ended what little debate remained among the Rogues there was as to what was between them. But, in truth, they just sat and compared notes about their training and their lives from before, whiling away the hours while the snow fell outside.

A few times when they were talking, Rashaban did look at her and think, 'She _is_ rather good looking.' or, 'She _did_ save me life', or 'We _are_ on the same quest, you know…' but every time he quickly put the thought from his mind, and went back to focusing on her conversation. Developing any feelings for this Amazon, especially just because they were both bored, would just cause more trouble than it was worth. Inwardly, he noted that ,'just because he was bored' was a bit of a lie, but he pushed that thought away as well, and just listened to the sound of her voice as she retold how she had passed her test. Then, he rolled his eyes at himself, and listened to what she was saying, rather than her voice.

Kara, on the other hand, was just glad to have somebody to talk to. The other Rogues just seemed to have their own groups, and, especially lately, they just seemed to brush her off. Oddly enough, she got the feeling that they weren't excluding her out of lack of interest or disdain that she was an Amazon, but for something else.

Whatever the reason, at least she had Rashaban to talk to. He wasn't exceedingly attractive, and she had mixed feelings about his character, but there was nothing wrong with him. Besides, they did have the same goals, and she would always throw little references into her tales, like, "and when I went down to get my knife, he was dead, kind of like a certain someone after fighting the Smith." Then she would laugh at his glare. 'Come to think of it', she thought one day, after hearing him talk, 'he isn't that bad of a guy.'

The time they looked forward to, though was at night, when they would sit by the fire to hear Warriv or Cain's stories; they were always amazing. The Rogues had heard them so many times that they just usually went to bed early to take advantage of the short respite the weather offered them, so through no design of their own, it was usually just Rashaban and Kara listening to the stories, though they never read anything into it.

Akara's words proved true, and after the single colossal snowstorm, the sun came out, and it all began to melt rapidly. In less than a week, the snow was back to a manageable level.

One morning soon after, Rashaban decided that his task today would be to retire his old crossbow. The snow was not impassible, but it wasn't completely manageable either. He went nonetheless; he was tired of sitting around. He surprised everyone by simply setting off on a series of raids, by himself. He went as far away is the cathedral, but no farther, and as close as the Dark Wood, but no closer. He wanted a good mix of challenge to keep him on his feet, and easy prey to get rid of the rust that had built up over the hiatus. He wandered far and wide, dispatching all in his path. He ran into real trouble once, at the Cathedral, in the form of a mob of Misshapen, but fought his way out of that. He collected so many potions, without really having to use them, that he didn't quite know what to do with them all, and ended up having to sell more than he would have. Soon, he felt he had used his old crossbow enough, and gave it to Charsi with instructions to take good care of it. He then purchased a socketed one (the one with the crank he had been looking at), and was about to make it a fire and ice weapon, when he remembered that Kara already had used that idea on her bow. Not one to follow in another's footsteps (even though he was already following in Solmo's), he first inserted a poison gem, then decided that he needed a little more stopping power, and added a lightning from his stash as well. Hefting his new weapon, he decided to try it out. He went on a few more raids before deciding to call it a day. He had gone through several quivers of bolts; never buying a single one, only finding more on his slain enemies. Once finished, he took stock of the situation. He had done quite well; the demons had picked up on the weather, and were remerging in force; Andariel had probably forced them out to stop the infighting and seek new prey. By spending his day out on raids, he was sure he had deprived the frozen Rogue guards of quite a bit of action.

Kara was also tired of sitting around and, inspired by Rashaban's performance, went out on a little raid herself the next day. It wasn't really anything by the standards she was used to, but it did wonders to get her back on feet. She only went as far as the barracks, but she was fine with wading through weaker monsters to get back into the feel of things. The high points were when she took out three adjacent carver camps with little to no effort. Then, running low on javelins, she had engaged a group of Dark Sisters, and broke off her last javelin in the last one. And, she had proved to herself that she could still fight by defeating one of those big apes and two of his minions in hand to hand without backing down. And, probably the best part was being chased by at least twenty dark lancers, including some of their champions, right off the bat from a waystone. She just ran, and threw a plague javelin, and kept it up, running and dodging through their ranks in a circle, until there was a circle of dead enemies surrounding the waystone. She related all this to Rashaban, who was apparently taking the day off, but he was very pleased to hear of her progress. They both agreed that soon, things would be back to normal. Then, as they spoke, they slowly came to a grand realization. The numbers and the strengths of the demons they were facing had been drastically cut back. That meant that the demons' infighting had taken a much larger toll than they had originally expected; perhaps she was still recovering from an uprising herself. If they could get to her before she could return her army to full strength… They would have a much better chance. Now was the time to strike.

Kara went on another raid, this time deep into the jail, and found hardly any enemies to fight. When she returned, both she and Rashaban agreed that Andariel was even weaker than they had originally thought, and they needed to strike soon. They did not tell another soul; they did not want to alert Andariel to their plans. Not that they suspected a spy, but Andariel's demons would be sure to notice preparations for an excursion. They dared not tell even Akara or Kayasha. It was partly because they were afraid that the Rogues would unintentionally give them away, and partly because, in their heart, each of them wanted to follow in Solmo's footsteps.


	16. Realizations

They decided that today would be the day. They wanted Rogues to help them, so they readied their gear, and went to see Akara. When they told Akara of their plan and the reasons behind it, her face was serious.

"Wait." She said. "I can sense that you are not ready. Neither of your combat abilities are quite equal to Solmo's, but that is not what concerns me." She paced for a minute, took a hard look at each of them and said, "You truly do not know what it is that you face. Your training, and your excursions up until now, have prepared you for nothing on this scale."

"We fought the Smith." Rashaban muttered.

"And you barely won." Akara retorted coldly.

"Our abilities have improved since then. Either one of us could take him on, alone."

"That is not my concern.", replied Akara. "My concern is that you two are not fully aware of yourselves, you do not know who you really are, you have not made complete peace with yourselves."

"I know I am on a mission, and it is my duty to fight Diablo, and therefore Andariel.", intoned Rashaban. Kara nodded her agreement.

Akara shook her head. "That is not enough. Once you are face to face with this evil, your duty alone will melt before the fear. You must have true self-realization to continue."

Rashaban thought for a minute, then asked Kara, "How old are you?

Kara shrugged. "Twenty two, I guess."

Rashaban turned back to Akara. "And I have walked the land for twenty four years. What you are asking of us is to have the self-realization of an old sage, at twenty!"

Akara nodded. "Not quite, but more or less."

"How are we supposed to do that?", Kara chimed in. "We already know who we are!"

Akara replied, "But will the knowledge you have now sustain you in a bitter fight to the end? Your previous training has prepared you for the horrors you have faced so far, but Andariel is different. What I am asking is: are you ready to die?"

There was a long silence after that. Rashaban and Kara had expected encouragement, not this.

Akara continued, "Now you know your duty, but you must have resolve and self-understanding to match that duty. Without these, you will surely fail, no matter what your abilities. You are not ready."

"What made Solmo so ready?", Rashaban almost demanded

"He knew where he was headed, as well as what he was fighting for. You two are on a different path." "If you must know", she whispered to herself, "you _are_ picking up where Solmo left off."

"What?"

"Never mind that." Her face melted into a bit if a smile. "I commend your enthusiasm, and your plan is sound one. But, would you rather fight her with the lot of you as weaklings, or when both sides are strong?"

They had to accept that, and had nothing to say.

"My advice to you is, take some food, and your weapons, and go out into the forest. Alone. Stay there for as long as you need. You will know when you are ready."

Rashaban and Kara both looked incredulous. "But we already did that!" they spurted, practically as one. "We had to in our training!"

Akara smiled once again. "The situation has changed. Do so again."

Rashaban and Kara thanked her for her advice, and walked quietly back to their tents.

"We could go anyway," Rashaban suggested, once they got to his tent.

Kara shook her head. "No, she's right. We really don't know what we're up against."

Seeing Rashaban's dull glare, she said, "I think she means it like this: our sense of duty could fail us, no matter how much we believe in it. We have to…to..._ instill_ it into ourselves, so that our motives and actions can't ever be questioned. Does that make sense?"

Rashaban nodded.

"And for that, we need to go through this again. Find out what our real motives are, and make sure that we know what we're fighting for. And, how did she put it?"

"Where we're going." Rashaban finished sullenly.

"Come on," she said. "Let's not waste any time."

When she got no response from Rashaban, she said, "We _need_ this. Trust her."

Rashaban slowly nodded, and followed her out of the tent.

They went and got food from Warriv, filled up on arrows and bolts, and left the camp. They wandered deep into the forest, never saying a word to each other, never seeing another soul. Once they got to a clearing, Rashaban muttered, "Allright. I know we're supposed to do this alone, but would you mind if we took turns taking watch? I'm really not in the mood to have my meditation broken just to kill a bunch of carvers." Rashaban still sounded sullen, but in a little bit of a better mood. Kara nodded.

"You go ahead and meditate first," she offered. "Oh, and by the way, cheer up. We're not wasting our time, we're building up our strength." She said with a little smile.

Rashaban nodded, and she headed off into the woods. He was alone. Deciding that they were right, even if it did take the edge off of the plan that was now wasting away, he took off his pack, laid his weapons aside, and sat down to meditate.

He did so for quite some time, before coming to a realization. That old bat had been right, there _was _something else he had needed to find. And, he had found it. What he needed to know was that the choice was his, he was not being pulled along by Solmo's past, he was not being forced down his road by destiny. His was the choice and his alone. He had undertaken this duty; no one had forced him too. Why had he chosen to do this? Because, he was horrified at what Diablo had done, and he wanted to become somebody great. He was dedicated to the Balance, and he would become strong, and overthrow this fiend. That was his mission, that was his purpose. And, until this was over, one way or the other, nothing else mattered. He had originally wanted to become a great disciple of the balance, and this was just the final step in that process. It was a realization that he had had all along, so it wasn't really anything new, but he had never articulated that to himself before now. Now, there were no questions, only determination and resolve.

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Kara returned a few hours later. "How'd it go?" she asked.

Rashaban smiled. "She was right. I found it."

Kara looked incredulous. "Are you just pulling my leg so we'll be done faster?"

Rashaban shook his head. "Nope. She was right. Just focus on why you started in the first place. That's where the answer lies. At least, for me anyway."

Kara looked skeptical, but she sat down to meditate, just as Rashaban had, while he disappeared into the woods.

Kara tried to focus on her motives. Why _had_ she come? Why had she entered the training, the Amazon monastery? Well, because she wanted to be a warrior, to protect the village, she supposed. It had seemed like a practical enough path at the time. Then, when Solmo disappeared, she had been sent on this quest. Her leaders may have thrown her away, but she had passed her test well enough, and it was still her duty.

'That's just it, why _is_ it my duty?'

'Because...well, it just is. They told you to come here and fight, and you did.'

Kara snorted to herself. 'Those 'Elders' threw me away like garbage. They haven't sent one messenger to check on my progress, and it's been months. Almost a year. Amazons keep in touch with their own, and they haven't sent a single message to me. It's not like they don't know where I am.'

'So, this is it? Time to forget about your loyalty to the Amazons?'

Kara was getting a bit mad. 'When I signed up, they promised me a place of honor and a chance for glory. They broke that promise. I _gave_ them my loyalty and they threw it back in my face. So, now I've got it back, to give to someone else.'

'And who has your loyalty now?'

'Kayasha, I guess. _She _gave me a chance to prove myself. In my book, or anyone else's, that means I owe her one, if not all my loyalty.'

'What about the man who just walked out of here?'

'Rashaban? Well, now that you mention it, we _have_ been doing a lot together, because those Rogues act so distant sometimes. But, that's the loyalty of a friend, not the loyalty I'm talking about.'

'So, I'm just here because I respect Kayasha and Rashaban, and I've got nothing better to do?'

'Well, that's kind of a silly reason! Come on, Kara, think! There must be something else to all this. Why did I do this, rather than become a weaver, or something?'

That's when it struck her, full force. She actually stared into space for a long moment, before she could process it all. She was just going along on this venture like it was another stage in her training, which she had only taken on in the first place because there seemed to be nothing better to do. It's not that she didn't want to become a warrior, but she hadn't had any strong motivation to either; it just sort of happened. She had been trained to kill these demons, to use her natural speed and agility to stick them with javelins, shoot them with arrows, and stab them with knives. She did this because the path of a warrior was a solid, exciting path, with few dangers just defending the village from small fry. Even if she was outnumbered or outclassed, they had taught her a hundred ways to escape. She had been doing it for so long, that she had not really questioned why. But, now she was faced with a real terror, something that was not just another clean up job, something that, once she faced it, she could not run from. And, she was terrified.

'This… this really wasn't what I had signed up for.' she finally said to herself.

She came out of her meditation, and could only keep asking herself why she had left the village. She kept staring into space until Rashaban got back.

"Well, nothing out there…hey, you look as white as a ghost. What's up?"

"What I found…I …I… I don't want to talk about it."

Rashaban was startled; he had assumed that she would find the exact same answer he had, it was simple enough for him. Apparently, she had not.

"What did you find?"

Kara was silent.

"Are you sure? Go and meditate some more, I'll take another watch."

"It won't help."

"Well, I guess Akara was right about _both_ of us, then. Look, if you won't do any further searching, and you won't talk, then what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't need any further searching; I found what it was."

"And?"

Kara was silent a moment, before whispering, "I'm a fake."

"You're a what?"

"A fake." She repeated softly. "I just got into this warrior bit because it looked like good option at the time, and I came here because of that. I had no idea what I was getting into."

"But…but…that doesn't make any sense. You've done so much…"

"They trained me to do all that at the Amazon Monastery. They didn't train me to look death in the face. They may have tried, but I wouldn't listen. As far as I was concerned, all I would have to do was kill a few monsters if they ever wandered too close too the village; never something like this."

Rashaban was incredulous.

"This, this was just a good way to make a living." Kara sputtered. "I'm no better than a mercenary. And, mercenaries don't go hunting Greater Demons."

By this time, it was getting dark. They both sat in silence, as the darkness gathered around them. Rashaban finally broke the silence, "Look, I don't know what your motives were, but I do know what your actions are. It's possible that you were mindlessly repeating training moves this whole time, but I doubt it. There's more to it than that. Were you mindlessly repeating training when you yelled at me for not protecting the camp? Were you thinking of killing a few small fry when you faced down the Smith? Were you simply running a drill when you saved my life?"

He paused, then looked into her eyes, and continued, "Look, I-" At that moment, they heard a scream.


	17. Rashaban's Test

Without a second thought, they grabbed their weapons in the same motion they jumped to their feet, and Kara pointed and led the way, running as fast as they could through the woods.

Rashaban's mind was racing. 'This had better work,' he thought to himself. He still couldn't believe that Kara was doing all this on a whim, but he had to know the truth. He didn't like lying to anybody, the teachings of the Balance forbade it, and what he was doing now was little better.

While he had sat in silence, he had been going over the preparations to a spell he had learned that most of the other Rathmians had scorned. It was a part of a spell known as Terror, but it was only the element that forced those affected to face a terrible fear, without overwhelming them with panic. It was used primarily as a test, to make the subject show their true colors. It was rather useless in combat, because the subject had to lower their guard, and you had to make eye contact. Rashaban had not mastered it, but it was working well enough now.

As the two of them sped through the woods in Kara's mind, he struggled to think of a convincing illusion, because he was not skilled enough to pull the fears from Kara's mind himself. But, apparently, he didn't have to. With no mental opposition, the spell wrapped around Kara's confused mind as if cast by a master, and Rashaban saw in his mind's eye what Kara had put herself up against.

When Kara heard the scream, she was on her feet without thought, and had located the direction through the confused tangle of trees, spinning towards it and running as fast as she could.

'It doesn't matter,' she thought to herself, it's just a part of the training I never really took to heart.'

Shaking her head as she dashed onward, she cleared those thoughts from her head and soon heard the scream again, much closer, repeated three times. As she broke through the edge of the forest, she looked down a steep hill, she saw the source. By instinct, she remained hidden behind the trees, and motioned for Rashaban to do the same.

It was a Rogue, stuck through the heart by a Dark Sister that could only be Blood Raven, mere feet away from where she was hidden. Four more lay scattered at the tall grass at her feet. Blood Raven gave an evil grin, and gave a motion with her hand. Her hand seemed to move slowly; almost as if this were a dream. It had to be; Blood Raven was dead. No, Andariel had raised her up again. As Blood Raven completed her motion, the grass around her because alive with Dark Sisters, rising from the ground until, from her vantage point, it was black with them in the moonlight. In the distance, they could see the Rogue camp, completely unsuspecting. There must have been at least six hundred spread across the landscape, not counting Blood Raven, against the three hundred or so Rogues at the camp. They would be wiped out before anyone had the chance to strike at Andariel. With a silent command from Blood Raven, they began to move, making as much noise as the wind as they spread out.

Kara flattened herself against her tree, in shock. 'What am I going to do?'

'Not bad,' thought Rashaban. 'That's pretty scary. Her jungle home can't be threatened here, so she's up against losing the camp, that's the closest thing she has to home right now. She even got Blood Raven's appearance mostly right, even though she's never seen her. Now, how to make this a test?' He looked over, and saw that she was dumbstruck, maybe even going into shock. At first, he was contemptuous of such weakness, but then he realized that he would not be so lucid himself, if he didn't know this was all an illusion. 'This was getting nowhere,' he thought. He had to give her a test, a way to change this situation, and fast. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He slid out from behind the trees and whispered in Kara's ear, "I think I have a plan."

Kara, still in disbelief at what they had stumbled across, asked him what it could possibly be.

"I have…a…some…favors I can call in from my training. I can have an undead army called here within minutes. But, I need…an…orb. A communication orb, and it's back at the camp."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I was saving this for Andariel, but it looks like she's forced my hand. Now, listen, I can get back there, but only if you provide a distraction."

"Such as?"

"I don't know, kill Blood Raven or something."

Kara found herself snickering at his little joke. In this midst of this, laughter was what she needed.

Rashaban quickly continued, "Look, there's no time. I need a serious diversion, and I need it fast."

Kara shook her head. "It would be suicide. As soon as they notice me, I'm a dead woman. Can't you conjure something up?"

Rashaban shook his head in turn, "No, I can't. Now listen up, I'm going to try and use my darkness spell to hide from them, but Blood Raven can see right through it. I'm willing to take my chances out there, but without Blood Raven, I'll make it for sure."

Kara tried to clear her head. Something wasn't right about this whole situation. "Something seems off around here…"

"There's no time for that! Listen, what I'm asking you to do is sacrifice yourself for the sake of the Rogues. I can't force you to, that's your choice. If you're feeling like a hero today, then kill Blood Raven, and die with her. If you aren't, then walk away. Walk straight back to the jungle, and don't bother coming back, because there will be nothing left to come back to. I leave the choice up to you."

With that, Rashaban vanished, swallowed up by magical darkness. She could barely see his shadow, and could barely hear him rush off towards the camp.

Kara was dumbstruck. This, this was insane. Something is wrong… this isn't real…but, it has to be. Kara, think! She shook her head to clear it, and searched within herself and in the surrounding energies for the source of the feeling, but found nothing. Something just wasn't right here. The whole situation seemed…contrived, somehow. That's it, she thought, contrived by Andariel. She wanted Kara out of the way, and so she had set up this impossible choice; either Kara would run and save her own skin, killing the Rogues in the process, or Kara would commit suicide by diverting the army. Part of Kara wanted to turn around and run, run back home to her village, run as far away from this cursed land as she could and shut these memories back in the darkest corner of her mind. But, she knew in her heart that she could never do that. She could never live with herself, knowing that she had chosen herself over a hundred others a hundred times more worthy than she.

She set her mind, steeled her resolve, and prepared to do what she had been trained to do. No, this was not what she was trained to do. "For the final moments of my life", she intoned, "I shall become a true warrior."

She stepped out from her hiding place, and easily found Blood Raven among the army, bringing up the rear. She was out of range, so Kara silently stole closer and closer to the advancing horde, until she was just within bowshot. She nocked an arrow, set it seething with the element of fire, then aimed and let fly. The arrow ignited in mid-flight, and eagerly sought out Blood Raven. As it stuck in her back, Blood Raven didn't even have the time to scream before a second arrow, made of chilling ice, pierced her. Burned and frozen at the same time, with two arrows through her heart, Blood Raven screeched her last and fell to the ground.

Kara breathed a quick sigh of relief. She had done it. Rashaban would make it through the lines, and he would call his army, and the camp would be saved. And then, he would go on to be the next Solmo, not her. 'Without me,' she thought in the back of her mind.

Seeing the horde of Dark Sisters turn as one, and set their eyes on her, as one, she was gripped by an inexplicable terror for a moment, and then calmed herself. She had known what this choice would bring. Looking death in the face ,all she could muster was a whispered, "Oh, well. Looks like my time to die. At least I finally became what I've been telling myself I was all this time; a real warrior."

The least she could do was take a few down with her. The army ran as one, not even drawing their bows, just slavering for their vengeance. She nocked arrows and shot and shot and shot until they were almost on top of her, before disappearing into the woods. She knew full well she could not escape, not when the whole army had turned around to crush her.

She dodged in between trees, firing back towards them, using every ounce of skill she had. She recalled everything for her training, every single way to lose an enemy among the trees; this forest wasn't quite the same as the jungle, but most of her tactics still worked. She ducked behind trees, climbed them, circled back around her pursuers, watching them split up to cover more ground to try and find her. Every trick she used seemed to work for a moment, but it was never long before one spotted her. Now that they had broken up into scattered groups, she turned to fighting them, using every skill she had, but every time she killed all she could see, more would pour in. She burned through all her arrows, then desperately used magic ones until her energy was completely gone.

Once she burned through all her ammunition, she reached for her javelins until they were all thrown or broken. Lastly, deep in the forest, with no idea where she had run to, she pulled out her knife, intending to sell her life dearly. As they swarmed in from all sides, her only thought was that she hoped she would die _before_ they stuck her up on a stake, not after, because, she thought sarcastically, that would be rather painful.Gritting her teeth against her inevitable death, she quickly thought, 'At least I saved the Rogues. At least I saved Rashaban. That's all I could ask.'

As they closed in for the kill, she heard Rashaban's voice, just a whisper, but so loud it filled her whole head, "Enough. That's quite enough. The test is complete." The Dark Sisters froze in their tracks, and began to blur out of focus, then the trees and the forest, and all her senses blurred away.

Once her senses had blurred away completely, they began to sharpen back into focus, and she found herself back in the clearing, sitting cross legged, looking Rashaban straight in the eye.

"Well done.", he said.

Kara was mostly in shock. "What…happened…"

Rashaban smiled. "You passed your test."

"What test? I was about to die… you…you were supposed to go back and call your army…what's going on here? What about the Rogues!?"

Rashaban passed his hand before her eyes. "The camp is in no danger. Just go to sleep. You are not dead. All will be explained in the morning."

With that, Kara fell under his spell once more, and was instantly asleep.

Rashaban walked away a bit, so as not to disturb her, and began pacing the forest under the full moon, his mind racing once more. Kara had certainly overcome her own struggles, there was no question of that, and he was very impressed with how she had performed. Rashaban's troubles lay with his own conduct. It had certainly helped her, but did he have the right to do what he had done? Did he, or anyone, have the right to make somebody face their own death, and then tell them that it was all an illusion the next day? As Rashaban poured over these questions, the night wore on. He wanted to sleep; the whole fiasco had drained him, but he knew he could not. Somebody had to keep watch, and after what Kara had gone through, there was no question it was going to be him. He drank a potion and kept the watch until sunrise, when Kara awoke.

When she did, she was, understandably, very confused.

As soon as she got up, she went to Rashaban to look for answers.

"Rashaban, what happened last night? My mind is a jumble, I have no idea whatsoever. No memory."

"I will be frank with you. Do you remember what you found in your mediation?"

Kara thought for a while, and then bitterly replied, "Yes."

"Do you remember what happened after that?"

"Well, you came back from watch to talk to me about it, and then it's all a blur."

"Well, I stayed up all night, so I want to catch a quick nap, at least. Your memory should return shortly. When it does, you will have many questions, but let me assure you, I have all the answers. I'll have a nap, and you try and remember what happened, and then we'll sort all this out."

"This wouldn't happen to have any bearing on the fact that I'm really just a miserable mercenary, would it?", Kara asked pitifully. She was still shaken by what she had found out about herself.

In that moment, Rashaban lost all the guilt he had over putting her through the test. He smiled. "All the bearing in the world. Just try and remember."

Kara sat down to think, and could not wrap her mind around what had been going on. If what she was remembering was in any way right, Rashaban should have been commanding an army of undead against an army of Dark Sisters, still fighting, and she should be dead. With that thought, she run over to Rashaban and shook him. "Rashaban! I should be dead!"

Rashaban was still soundly asleep. "Hmf?"

"Why am I still alive?!" she practically screamed.

"Was all a test. All a fake. Let me sleep.", Rashaban mumbled.

"But how?"

"Magic!", He grunted, before falling back to sleep.

Kara was still trying to sort things out when he woke up. She could understand things a bit better now… but…

"Got any questions for me?", Rashaban asked, as he rolled up his blanket.

"Not a single one. I just want you to tell me what happened."

Rashaban complied, and filled her in on every possible detail he could think of.

"Ok, now I have some questions." Kara said. "One, do you really have an undead army you can call?"

"Nope. That was so I would have some reason to go back."

"I _knew _there was something fishy about that whole thing. It just smelled like a set up." She laughed, "And here I thought Andariel had set this up to give me an impossible choice. Andariel certainly would have been more subtle about it." She snorted, half in jest and half in contempt. "Giving yourself an army. Making _me _the one who had to stay behind and getkilled. Giving yourself all these powers and making yourself the hero, against this impossible army. Watching me fight to the very end, use every last bit of my power, fighting to he bitter end against something that wasn't even there. I sure hope you had fun making my head into your playground."

Rashaban was suddenly on the defensive. "Hey, you gave me five minute's notice to think up something. For your information, _you_ were the one who made up that army attacking the camp, that wasn't me. I left you to die because that was the whole point; I was testing you, not me. I left you to fight because I wanted to see if you would break. A mercenary would break. You did not."

Kara looked uncertain.

"And, for your information, I never used all those powers I gave myself. Anything that was out of your sight didn't exist. If I really wanted to turn your head into my playground, I could have. But, that's not why I did it. I did it to make you show your true colors."

Kara didn't have anything to say, so Rashaban continued, "And you did. If you had been some mercenary, caring only for your own skin, you would have run off, and left me to die. You may have started out that way, but you've changed. Don't take my word for it, just look at how you reacted. In that test, you overcame that attitude, and you were honestly ready to die for your cause, and to save others. _That _is the mark of a real warrior. I'm sorry I put you through that, but I just had to know. I had to know if I could trust you to fight by my side when we face Andariel."

Kara looked at the ground.

"You're not a fake.", was all Rashaban said.

After a long silence, Kara said, "All right…I think I'll take a walk. I need to get this all sorted out."

"Fine, fine. We'll get a good night's sleep tonight, and then head on off in the morning. Tomorrow will be the big day. We've passed Akara's test, and we will kill Andariel."

Kara nodded, a bit confused within herself, before heading off into the woods.

That night, they slept soundly. They did not need to take a watch, they had been trained long ago to detect intruders in their sleep. They were ready, and the next day would mark their victory.


	18. Confrontation

When the morning came, they were already on their way back to the camp. Not even noticing the looks they were getting after being out alone together for two nights, they went straight to Akara. She took one look at their faces and pronounced them ready. They went to their tents, and took out Charsi's knives. They would use them this day. They went and loaded up on ammunition and supplies; Akara flat out gave them as many antidote potions as they could carry, for Solmo had told them of Andariel's poisons. Lastly, they went around, saying goodbye to all in case they did not return. Lastly, they went to Kayasha. "We are going down, right now. We are going to kill Andariel this very day."

Kayasha was shocked; she had heard nothing of this, only that they had made it to the farthest waystone.

"We need some Rogues. If you would have us succeed, please give us all the help you can muster.", Rashaban said somberly.

"We can't do this by ourselves", Kara chimed in.

Kayasha was a bit taken aback, and asked them, "Why did you not tell me of this sooner?"

"Andariel would have noticed any change in the camp, and would have prepared for us. This needs to be a surprise. Akara says that we are ready. We are leaving presently."

Kayasha was still taken aback, but impressed with such an attitude.

"All right."

She turned to the rest of the camp, and yelled, "These two are going to end this, once and for all. Akara pronounces them ready to proceed. Who of you would go with them to fight Andariel, knowing that you will likely never return?"

The camp was silent for a moment.

Rashaban spoke up, "I only want the most skilled and dedicated amongst you. If you do not trust us, then do not come. If you do not know of the horror you face, then stay behind. If there is one shred of doubt that you lack the skill, then stay here." As an afterthought, he said, "I don't want cannon fodder, I can make my own. What I want is a group of strong allies."

Kara also spoke, "We don't want to guilt anybody into coming. Only come if you trust our abilities. However, we do have a plan. I know that when Solmo fought her, he took Rogues one by one, and Rogues died, one by one. They got off maybe one or two arrows before being slain. We have a different plan. We will take a group, as many as want to come, and we will fight together. But, we will not all die together."

After that, a deep silence filled the camp. Only the animals could be heard.

Finally, Rashaban broke the silence, "We will meet at the waystone in fifteen minutes. Anybody who wants to come, prepare yourselves, and be there."

With that, they went back to their separate tents, to prepare the final surprise. Each of them had been collecting all the exploding potions they could find. Now was the time to use them.

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Rashaban and Kara met on the waystone, and they could see a group of perhaps fifteen Rogues coming towards them. Out of earshot, Debi muttered to Maeko; "Easy for them to risk their lives. After last night, what have they got to lose?" They all snickered a bit, while the pair on the waystone wondered what the joke was about.

"What's so funny?" asked Kara.

"Forget it. Just a nervous joke."

"All right, then," said Rashaban, "Here's the plan."

Five minutes later, the group faded out, and the rest of the camp turned away, hoping against hope that they would not fail.

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Down on the second level of the catacombs, seventeen people faded into life atop the waystone. All was quiet, but the air stank and no one felt at ease. Torches were quickly lit and glowing items brought out, but outside the dim circle of firelight, there was nothing. "Bows at the ready," ordered Rashaban. Fifteen Rogues and an Amazon slid their bows from their backs with practiced ease, while Rashaban unslung his crossbow. "Nock Arrows," he whispered. Sixteen bows were filled, while a crossbow bolt clicked into place.

"We will not, I repeat, _will not_ lose a single woman. Don't let them get too close. If they get close enough to strike, just retreat. Do not stand and fight." Sixteen heads nodded in understanding.

"Let's go, then."

They scouted the first room, but it was empty save for them and the waystone. Rashaban opened the door to the next, and they found it empty as well. Down a dark hallway and still nothing. They wandered into yet another small, empty room. After this, they entered a larger room, that looked just as dark and empty as the ones before. Then, from out of the darkness, came the howling, horned forms of the Misshapen and Afflicted.

There was no sound; no warning, only the snarls and the shapes appearing out of nowhere. Those Rogues who had never seen them before faltered for a heartbeat, while those who had used that heartbeat to loose a volley. Those Rogues that could used arrows of fire and ice. Kara concentrated, and saw every single one's exact location. She called out where they were hiding in the darkness, and every time she fired, two arrows came off the bow. Rashaban spun a curse at them all and kept up the shooting. "Don't let a single one into the light!", he bellowed. "Save your magic arrows! There's worse than this ahead!"

This held for three, perhaps four volleys, then they were in trouble. Rather than rush the light, the Misshapen began to spit their horrible lightning attacks from the shadows, and several Rogues were taken down. Rashaban saw that the situation was going downhill quickly, and decided that a tactical retreat was in order.

"Get back!", He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Back into the other room! Kara and I will handle this! Take the wounded and go!" He knew Kara could doge the lighting; now he had to whip something up. He dropped his crossbow, and pulled out his wand and shield. A pile of bricks rose from the floor to guard the retreating Rogues, running to and fro to take the lighting hits. Three fallen Misshapen rose as skeletons and began fighting back. Bone Armor sprang up around him. He suddenly noticed that, without the torches, the room was utterly dark. However, he could see through his minions' balefire eyes. A bolt of magical power filled his hand, and he began shooting at anything within reach.

Kara was relieved when Rashaban called for the retreat. She knew that with this big a group, they were sitting ducks. She saw Rashaban's golem rise to defend the retreating Rogues, so she got to work herself. The room was plunged into darkness without the torches, but she could sense the energies within the demons, so she knew exactly where they were. Focusing further, she found when they would use their lightning, and stayed out of each one's reach before shooting them with fire and ice.

The Rogues, however, were in a panic. Most of them had never fought as a unit before, and those that had thought that being in a unit meant standing in a line to shoot; they were not used to this style of fighting, and definitely not used to this cramped space. Some of them had started to fall back from the lightning even before Rashaban had given the order. When he did, it was not so much a tactical retreat as a stampede. Some their senses, and went back to look for the few dropped torches. They were all rather relieved when a sizable chunk of the floor began walking into the lighting bolts, and soon they were all safely in the previous room, with torches by the doors and bows aimed at each. As they patched up the wounded with healing potions, the same question was racing through their minds; what were those two _doing _in there?

After a few minutes of hard fighting, Rashaban and Kara were through. As usual, they were unharmed. Rashaban's minions had taken most of the hits, and Kara was too quick to be hit by lightning, and never got close enough to be struck. Rashaban walked up to her in the darkness, and whispered so that the Rogues could not hear, "Nothing but the usual rabble, eh?"

"Typical enough. Hey, what are we going to do about those Rogues? They were getting eaten alive!"

Rashaban snorted softly. "It's only because these things shot back. It doesn't help that they aren't used to fighting in a group like this. And especially down here; it's too crowded; they can't fight like they're used to fighting."

After a few minutes of conversation, they came up with a plan between themselves, and went over to some dead bodies before heading back to the Rogues.

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The Rogues in the room heard footsteps approaching, and were ready to fire, when they recognized Kara's voice. "It's just us. All clear."

When Kara and Rashaban stepped into the room, they were a mess. They were covered in blood splatters, and Rashaban's skeletons looked pretty beat up. His golem was nowhere to be found.

"That was pretty rough.", muttered Rashaban. He hated lying like this. "I'm going to go sit down for a minute."

Kara, however, took a different approach. "Well, gals, sorry it had to come to this. You obviously aren't used to fighting down here, or in a unit. That's fine, I'm just sorry you couldn't get some more practice before going up against the likes of these guys."

At the Rogues' quizzical look, she continued: "Those things we just fought are champions of Andariel. Probably just as powerful as the Smith, each one of them. And champions, to boot." Rashaban signaled her from the back to tone it down. Without breaking stride, she continued, "They were extremely powerful. Anything else we face is going to be a heck of a lot easier than those things." Alternate looks of relief and respect for the two heroes crossed the faces of the Rogues, while Rashaban rolled his eyes in the corner and Kara gave a broad grin. This was working perfectly.

"Anyhow, we shouldn't run into too many more of those. However, we are going to have to do something about your fighting in a unit. Here's how it's going to work; we will keep a straight line, Rashaban and me in the front, the rest of you fanning out behind. If we get to a hallway, form up so that you fill the hallway behind us. If we get to a room, from up so you fill the room from left to right, and follow. Make sense?"

They nodded.

"Rashaban's skeletons will tie up anything that tries to get to you, and I'll keep track of everything and make sure nothing escapes or gets past the skeletons. One nice thing about fighting down here is that not much shoots back, so you should be safe most of the time in the rear. If we _do_ run across anything that shoots back, retreat, and we'll handle it. We can't have all of you getting shot up before we even reach Andariel."

Kara looked around. She no longer saw panicky faces, scared and filled with regret for coming. She saw reassurance, and determination to see this through. She had successfully played off of her and Rashaban's reputation and convinced them that the last encounter had been a fluke, and that the rest would be just like the were used to. She had also convinced them that she and Rashaban were much more powerful than they really were, but she didn't see any other option. As they filed out of the room and deeper into the depths, Kara hoped that it was worth bringing them all down here.

From then on, Kara's doubts were dispelled. Everything went exactly according to plan. They didn't run into any more of the Misshapen. When they found carvers, Kara assassinated the shaman while Rashaban and the Rogues made short work of the rest. As the progressed through the long, narrow passageways, deeper underground, Kara began to feel a sense of foreboding, but she shook it off. Rashaban's little test had helped prepare her. Andariel surely knew by now that they were coming, but it didn't matter. They would prevail, they surely would. They had the skills and the determination. Now all they needed was a little luck, and they would pull through.

As they walked, they passed through torture chambers, where they saw peasants drawn and quartered on huge spiked wheels, and smears of blood on every wall. They even saw a few of the blood pools, though nobody went anywhere near them. Some of the less experienced Rogues stumbled a bit at these sights, but they all pressed on. They stalked through another level, their strategy seemingly working better the deeper down they went. They were all waiting for some sort of blockade, some sort of organized defense. But, there was nothing, only the darkness, and the sound of bootsteps.

It seemed like the halls went on forever, always looking the same, almost always empty; as if it were trying to lull them into a sense of ease. But, they were too tense for that. Every sense was on edge, every slight sound of a rock falling or blood boiling brought raised bows and sharp eyes from the Rogues. Rashaban and Kara, used to this, strode on unconcerned, steeling themselves against the danger they knew they faced. The Rogues noticed their leaders' lack of fear and alertness, and drew more confidence from their aloof attitude. If the two of them did not feel in the least bit threatened, then what did fifteen Rogues have to fear? As more and more rooms turned up empty, the Rogues forgot their first defeat, especially when they were able to effortlessly kill anything they did run into, because Rashaban's minions always held them at bay. Finally, they reached the stairs down. After a few more rooms, another stairway presented itself.

"She's down there." Rashaban whispered so that they all could hear. "This is it."

The Rogues quietly formed up around him.

"Are you sure?"

Rashaban nodded. He and Kara could feel Andariel's presence radiating from the stairs; they wondered why the Rogues couldn't.

"All right, now everybody, remember the plan."

They all nodded, and went down after him.

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They came out in a fairly small, empty room. This one, however, was brightly lit with torches. Every sense on edge, completely tense, slowly walked through the room, just as they had all the ones before.

Senses completely alert, they proceeded to the door on the far end, and opened it. As soon as their lights shone through, even Rashaban drew back in disgust. Kara closed her eyes and whipped her head away. The Rogues visibly cringed, and one of them had to hold back vomit. They could see that this was a large antechamber, brightly lit as the one before it. At the very center was a hole, perhaps twenty feet across. The depth, they could not guess at.

The hole was filled to its edge with dead bodies, drowning in a sheen of blood. Rogues, peasants, warriors, all were plied in a heap, their eyes gouged out, their bones broken, their flesh slashed to ribbons. Whoever Andariel's minions could get their hands on alive, they were brought here, for her amusement and sacrifice.

Looking around the rest of the room, they could see about a dozen Misshapen corpses, probably from some other sacrifice.

This is only what the Rogues saw. Rashaban and Kara, with their magical sight, saw a spirit cage, suspended over the pit, with hundreds of souls screaming to get out and banging against the bars. The cage was locked with a padlock in the form of a Misshapen's face.

'Certainly a convenient time to have come here'; Rashaban thought, 'to interrupt her ritual.' These souls were certainly destined for a terrible fate.

He considered breaking the lock now, but decided against it. So many free souls would disrupt the magic here, and Andariel would probably consume them the moment they were free. For a moment, anger at Andariel threatened to overwhelm him, but he managed to suppress it. This was no time to lose control.

"All right. You have seen what Andariel has done. This day we shall have her head. Take up your positions!"

The Rogues rushed to the far side of the lake, to cover the only other door in the room; a fifteen-foot tall set of carved double doors, that obviously led to Andariel's inner sanctum. With as much distance as they could get between them and the doors, the Rogues prepared for what was to come.

Rashaban walked up to the doors, and two clay hands rose from the floor and threw them open before him. Inside was an inky blackness the torches could not penetrate.

"Andariel!" Rashaban shouted. "You know why we are here. I give you one chance. Leave this world and never return."

Out of the darkness a voice purred, seductive, evil, and deep. "Do you? And I will give you one chance. Put that knife of yours through your throat, and I'll let your comrades live to see another sunrise."

"Enough of you! Come out and face me!"

"As you wish."

Slowly a form resolved itself out of the darkness. Andariel had to stoop to get through the doorway. She was at least sixteen feet tall, with a face full of hatred. Her hair was like a flame atop her head, and six spider's legs pierced out from her back. She gave a wicked smile, and a sneer. "So. You think you are Solmo. Let me inform you that you are not. Prepare to join those behind you."

Rashaban gave little laugh of his own, as he drew out his wand, "I'll break your soul cage along with you."

"That's not what I meant." Andariel sounded amused.

"Enough talk! Rogues! Fire Arrows! Now!"

A dead silence followed, broken only by the sound of the blood seeping in the pool.

"Go ahead and look." Andariel taunted. "I'm sporting. You can turn your head."

Rashaban instead looked through one of his minion's eyes, and what he saw turned his blood to fire.


	19. Never Leave Your Victims Laying Around

Debi ran into the room with the rest of the Rogues. 'This is it', she thought. 'Those two are finally going to take down Andariel, and I'm going to be a part of it. I'm going to be the backup.', she kept telling herself. She glanced at Maeko and the rest of her comrades, glad that she had come despite her inexperience, then focused all her energy, all her will on drawing the bow, as she had been taught to do, and aiming her arrow right at the door. After she had herself utterly focused, she waited for Rashaban's signal. The only thing in the world was the signal. The only thing in the world was the signal. The only thing in the world…

As focused as she was, she never heard the Misshapen, enchanted with silence, rise from the floor without making a sound. She didn't see its hand cover her mouth until it was too late. As it drove a spike through her heart, her last thought came through; 'I missed the signal. I failed.'

"I'll tell you what?," purred Andariel, as she savored the look of defeat etched into the Necromancer's face. "If you cut yourself open, here and now, the girl can live. How about it?"

Rashaban stood in silence, his expression slowly changing. Andariel thought it was shock at first, but then realized that it was anger, quickly rising to a boil; to a burning flame. She would have some fun after all.

"Kara!" Rashaban yelled, still focused on Andariel. "Keep those things off my back. Make SURE they don't get up again."

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When the Rogues had rushed into the room, Kara had taken a risk and gone back out to cover the stairway. She knew the plan called for her to be with the Rogues, but she had a feeling that Andariel would want backup, and she didn't want any surprises. She could vaguely hear Rashaban challenging Andariel, and then silence. She waited for the sound of arrows, but all she heard was:

"Kara! Keep those things off my back, and make SURE they don't get up again."

'What happened to the Rogues?,' she wondered. She had a bad feeling about this.

She sprinted back to the door as fast as she could, threw it open… and saw the carnage laid out before her. The Misshapen were charging around the lake towards Rashaban, but he was paying them no mind. He was focused on the demon before him. Barely missing a beat, Kara nocked an arrow, and methodically began to cut down the Misshapen.

"How tragic," crooned Andariel, seeing the skeletons advance and Kara burst through the door and start firing. "I think I'll slay the two of you with the same blow. That would be fitting."

Rashaban was beyond words. He remained calm as his minions marched forward. But, it was not the calm of a cool, collected mind. It was the calm on the surface of a flame, a crystal clear sheet of rage. He spun a curse of weakness just as his minions reached her, but it broke against her.

"Fool! Do you think your pathetic training magic could have any effect on me?!"

Rashaban did not even change his expression to give it away. He had a plan, but it was at the back of his mind, and he was focusing all his anger into his minions at the moment. The balefire in his skeletons' eyes flashed to red, as they closed in for the kill from every direction.

"INSECTS!", bellowed Andariel, as she raised both fists into the air, and then slammed them to the ground, palms flat. Where her hands struck, the floor cracked, and poison hissed from the fissure, surrounding her. As soon as his skeletons touched it, their bones began to crumble, the magic that bound them failing at the joints. They clattered to the floor before ever reaching her. The poison hissed at the bricks and earth of his golem, but could not touch it.

Through the cloud, the golem swung a mighty fist of stone at Andariel, aiming for her lowered head. At the last instant, Andariel caught the Golem's fist in her own, and crushed it in her hand. Before Rashaban could react, her spider's legs whipped out from her back, lifting the construct off the floor and impaling it from six directions. It crumbled to floor.

Andariel slowly rose to her feet. "You see? You are no match for me."

Kara knew she could not panic. She let her senses and her instincts guide her, as she fired two arrows at a time, and each one found its mark in the leg of a Misshapen. She saw Rashaban send in his minions, and Andariel release a poison cloud, and decided that she would finish off the Misshapen before joining in the battle. She took aim at a head, and let fly her arrow.

Through the haze of his anger, Rashaban knew what he had to do. He raised more minions and backed away, sending them in for the kill.

"All out of tricks, necromancer?," bellowed Andariel, and once again, she smashed the floor and poison corroded his skeletons. Once more, they fell to the ground. Once more his golem stomped through the cloud without missing a beat and swung at her head. Once more she caught the blow and shattered its arm. However, when her spider's legs snapped forward to crush the golem, its other arm found its mark; on one of the leg's joints. The leg snapped off and fell to the ground with the remains of Rashaban's golem.

Andariel rose to her feet, a look of distain on her face. "Clever. Don't think I'll let that happen again."

Rashaban did not respond. It was just as he had suspected. All demons were alike; they had a pattern they always followed. There had been no deviation in the way she attacked; she had done the exact same things as before. He had feared Andariel would be different, but she was just like the rest of them. A triumphant thrill welled up inside of him, as a dreadful smile flashed across his face. He even deigned to answer her barbs, "You are all the same. And you shall fall, as have all the ones before you."

She shrieked and rushed at him, and threw a bolt of poison as she came.

Rashaban backed away, and even though his minions were already rising from the ground, he did not have a single one move to block the attack. He took the hit full force, and grimaced as the poison took its hold, but he was used to poisons. As Andariel reached his minions, he shouted back, "I've been hit with worse." He downed an antidote potion, even though he could have gone without it, for he needed all his strength.

Kara saw Rashaban pull back, and was about to go to help, when she remembered the door. She did not want any unwelcome reinforcements surprising them. She barred it with a few javelins, then picked up her bow again and rushed to help.

Making sure that Andariel was tied up with his minions, Rashaban pulled out his crossbow, and fired a bolt at her head. She blocked it with her arm and charged his position once more. 'Impressive', thought Rashaban. 'She saw where I was aiming, and had her arm up right before I fired. I hope Kara has some way around that.' He considered giving up on his crossbow attacks, but reasoned that filling her arm with bolts would eventually render it useless. Andariel continued to hack through his minions, and he kept raising more of them, while keeping up the crossbow attacks. 'Where is Kara', he wondered, but he didn't even have to look around before a fire arrow flew over his head, to bury itself in Andariel's arm. Without a word, they continued firing. 'Just like the Smith', Rashaban thought. 'And I thought this was going to be difficult.'

Andariel knew that she would never get past Rashaban's cannon fodder, and that he wasn't hurt by the poison. And she knew better than to waste time shooting at an Amazon. She needed a new tactic.

They both saw Andariel crouch to the ground, and put her head down, as a poison cloud formed around her. 'What's she trying now', Rashaban wondered. He knew his skeletons would be no good, so he raised another golem and sent it in to attack as he and Kara raised their bows and fired.

Andariel focused around her, sensing the vile life energies from her opponents…she could sense the time flowing around her, and waited for the exact moment…

Andariel's spider legs whipped out, and broke off their arrows in their flight. She sat absolutely still, merely crouching on the ground surrounded by the haze of poison. Rashaban sent his golem in, but with all her concentration on her second set of limbs, she was too fast, and the golem was pierced without ever landing a blow.

"She can't keep that up forever. Keep firing!" he yelled to Kara.

They did, bolt after bolt, arrow after arrow. Every single one was dead on target, yet every one was broken in its flight. Eventually, Kara hit and broke a leg with a lucky shot, but they were running low on ammunition. Kara yelled, "This is getting us nowhere, Rashaban!"

"Just keep it up!"

Andariel was getting weaker and weaker keeping up her deflection, but they only got in two more solid hits before their quivers ran dry. Once they did, Andariel rose from her crouch.

"Fools. I am not the Smith. You cannot defeat me as you defeated him."

Rashaban knew this plan had failed, but another had come to him while he was firing.

He ran away from her, to the other side of the lake. As he passed Kara, he mouthed the words, "Keep her distracted." Kara looked incredulous, but he was already past her. She turned to face down the monstrosity before her. Andariel gave an evil grin.

"Leaving the lady to die while he runs to save his own hide? That's not very noble."

"Save your breath, fiend."

Kara put down her bow, and drew out her javelins. This was going to be tough. She wasn't going to even try and hurt Andariel, just keep her busy. With a battle cry, she jumped at Andariel, stabbing with her javelin, but mostly concentrating on dodging her blows. She hoped she didn't have to keep this up for long.

Rashaban rushed to the far edge of the lake. He immediately sat down on the edge, and closed his eyes. He shut out the entire world, visualizing the spell in his mind and recalling the language of the dead. He wasn't nearly powerful enough to do this on his own, but he had some help he could enlist, if he was lucky.

Andariel concentrated all her speed and energy on swatting down this Amazon before her. She was actually pulling her hits; she still wanted to kill them in the same blow. One solid hit should be just enough to take her out, not kill her. She glanced over at the necromancer, and saw that he was trying to cast the Legions of the Dead spell. Fool. He had nowhere near the skill or the power to perform such a feat. He had seen that he was outmatched, and was simply trying a last, desperate attempt to do the impossible. Even if he did have the skill, he did not have the time. With that thought, she swung once more at the Amazon, using her all her limbs, but missing two of her legs was slowing her down, and Kara was always just out of reach. The Amazon stabbed with her javelin, but only nicked her. Andariel bellowed, and attacked again. This was getting nowhere; the pesky Amazon was just too fast. Andariel gave a wicked smile as a new tactic crossed her mind. She turned from Kara, and slung a poison bolt right at the Necromancer. That should throw her off.

Kara sensed that Andariel was going to switch targets before she even moved, so she was ready. When Andariel slung the bolt, Kara jumped, and took the hit right in the stomach. "Last time he'll bother me for not taking the hit" Kara muttered to herself as she rolled to break her fall on the ground. She grabbed an antidote potion and downed it. She rolled back to her feet and drank a healing potion, back in the fight.

Andariel was a bit surprised. The legends of the Amazons really were true. She needn't worry about the pathetic Necromancer, the one before her was the real threat. She surrounded herself with poison and charged back into combat.

Rashaban focused on the soul cage in front of him. He spoke in the language of the dead, asking if they wished to strike one last time at their murderer. They shrieked in assent. He focused on the Misshapen padlock, and attacked it with a spell of unbinding. It broke apart. A mental hand rested on the cage door. The timing would be key. He focused even harder, and began the spell.

Kara was fading fast. Even with the thrill of battle, her non stop dodging, with barely anything to show for it on her opponent, was beginning to tire her, both in resolve and in body. She stepped back, quickly drank a stamina potion, and remembered the test Rashaban had given her. She would _not_ lose this fight. She just had to give Rashaban a little more time…

Andariel could see her opponent fading. She was, after all only human, even if she was an Amazon. She closed in for the kill, only to have the pest dodge away again. 'Soon enough,' she thought. Suddenly, something pricked at the back of her mind. She tried to push it aside and strike again, but it only became more and more urgent. She finally broke from combat to see what it was, keeping her eyes on the Amazon the whole time. She searched her mind, then the area around her. Something was missing. While she was attempting to locate the source, she felt something cold and sharp grab her ankle. The Necromancer had finally given up, apparently, and was summoning more skeletons. Without even a glance, she stabbed down with a spider leg. Then, she felt another hand, higher up this time, and then another, digging into her flesh. 'How annoying,' she thought, and half turned to see if she should bother using her poison wall. What she saw was a skeleton on her shoulder, blocking her view, ready to slash her with a bony hand. She shrieked and whirled away, knocking it from her back. She glared down at the pathetic creature at her feet. How had she missed that? Too focused on the Amazon, was her first thought, but no, there was something else…the eyes; no balefire… just a light…that means…before she could finish her thought, her eyes followed the skeleton at her feet to the one behind it, to the one behind that to the one behind that; her eyes followed the trail of skeletons across the room. She could not believe what she saw.

Her soul cage was broken, and the lake was coming alive with skeletons. They were climbing out of the pit, pouring out, and coming for her. She looked for the necromancer, and he was still sitting by the side making even more. He was using each soul to power each skeleton!

She could not believe this. She was through being amused by their troublesome antics. Even as the skeletons advanced upon her, she bellowed a shriek of rage and rushed at them, poison surrounding the air around her. But, these did not dissolve as the ones before had. Their bones began to smolder, but they were fueled by vengeance, and they came at her by the dozen. She swept them away by the dozen, but she was soon covered in cuts and gouges. A group of skeletons attacked her from behind, and grabbed onto a spider leg, breaking it off by sheer weight of numbers.

Kara saw what Rashaban had done and was impressed. She didn't know how he had done it, but now the battle was back their favor. Andariel was so furious, so swept up in slaughtering her foes for the second time, that she paid no heed the javelins sticking in her back as fast as Kara could throw them.

After what seemed like an eternity, Rashaban completed his spell. Every last body is the lake was now ensouled, and swarming over Andariel. He saw Kara filling her back with javelins. He would have felt triumphant, but he knew this was not going to be enough. Wasting no time, he drank some potions, then ran off to complete the second part of his plan.

Andariel was lost in a murderous rage. Heedless of the javelins piercing her back, or the mounting flesh wounds the skeletons were inflicting, she tore through them with a vengeance to counter theirs, ripping every single one apart as she had before, a sadistic glee filling her as she watched the light die in their eyes for the second time. When she had crushed the last one underfoot, she looked around, the unfeeling rage leaving her eyes, to be replaced by a sharp look of malice. She saw all her precious souls vanishing into the ether, with her soul cage gone, dispelled by the Necromancer. She swung her head around to find him, and there he stood, a mere twenty feet away, with fifteen skeletons at his back. She looked for the Amazon, and saw her across the lake, guarding the door. There was no use calling for reinforcements; she would have to finish them herself.

Kara had one eye on the door and one eye on Rashaban. He had motioned for her to stay back, and she had to save all her remaining javelins. However, she couldn't help but watch. They stood facing each other from twenty paces. Andariel, an immense demon, made all the more fearsome for being covered in cuts and broken javelins, and still standing tall. Kara looked back towards Rashaban and his fifteen skeletons, which looked, to be honest, diminutive. Pathetic, in fact, when facing down this monstrosity. Something about the number of skeletons stuck in her head.

"I'll still give you one last chance.", Rashaban intoned in a deep, clear voice.

Kara remembered that he hadn't taken a real hit for the entire battle so far, and drank a potion herself to help heal the small wounds that Andariel had inflicted on her.

"Leave this world, and never return.", he continued.

"You have hidden behind your minions.", Andariel sneered back, her voice becoming less and less seductive and more and more unearthly, "Face me yourself!"

Rashaban nodded slowly. He drew out his wand and shield, and braced himself for a charge. Andariel flexed her clawed fingers, and poison spat from the tips.


	20. A Two Edged Plan

With a yell, Rashaban sprinted forward, a bolt of power forming on his wand and the skeletons clattering to a phalanx formation behind him. Andariel simply sneered, and crouched a bit to get a clearer shot. Rashaban shot his bolt of power, and Andariel stepped aside, as fast as Kara herself could. Kara was shocked, and held herself back from charging in. Andariel hadn't been able to move that fast before. If Andariel was using speed like that, Rashaban had no chance. But, he had told her to stay back, and if he did have a plan, she couldn't afford to foil it up.

She saw Rashaban get there far ahead of his skeletons, and strike out with another bolt. Andariel wrapped herself in poison once more, and struck with her three legs and both arms. The cloud covered them both, and Kara was sure that was that last she would ever see of Rashaban. When the haze cleared, she could see that Andariel had pulverized a stone golem, and Rashaban had his bone armor around him, but it looked like it had taken a real hit. "Your poison is useless!" He bellowed, and struck at her with his wand. Before the poison finished dissipating, Andariel struck again, not giving him time to finish his strike, much less raise another golem. Her strike smashed through his bone armor, met his shield, and he flew through the air. He landed on his back, and scrambled to his feet, but stumbled, landing flat on his face. The skeletons stopped in their tracks, just in front of him, as soon as he fell. Kara wasn't sure, but could have sworn that he intentionally stumbled.

Andariel gave a sadistic laugh as she swooped down for the kill, completely ignored the skeletons, stepping around them and stooping down to smash Rashaban and end this fight. Kara had a javelin in hand, and threw it with all her might to stop her.

Andariel was too disappointed to gloat. She had merely knocked him back, and now he had knocked himself out on the floor! This was too easy, she thought with a laugh, and she stepped around his motionless skeletons and went in for the kill. A javelin stuck in her arm, but she ignored it, there was no way she was going to be cheated out of this kill by the Amazon.

Rashaban lay on the ground, using his magical sense to judge Andariel's position, playing dead until just the right moment. At the last minute, he cast his bone armor around himself, staying completely still. His last thought was; 'This is going to hurt." Then, he gave the signal.

Fifteen skeletons stood motionless in front of Rashaban. They did not make a move as Andariel stomped around them; they were frozen in motion. Then, they got the signal. Fifteen bony hands grasped the necks of fifteen bottles of exploding potions they had been given on the waystone, hours ago. Fifteen skeletons rushed, faster than any skeleton should have been able to, at the unsuspecting demon. Fifteen bottles smashed against Andariel's flesh. As their world exploded in fire, fifteen Rogues faded triumphantly into the ether. Rashaban heard, in his ear, 'I got the signal.', before his bone armor was seared from him and he was blasted into the air. As the ground rushed up to meet him, he tried desperately to remember what his combat teacher had taught him about breaking a fall. But the pain of the burns was too much, and he blacked out in midair, landing like a rag doll and cracking bones on the floor.

Kara desperately watched her javelin, as if in slow motion; this could _not_ be allowed to happen. Her heart fell to her stomach when she saw Andariel shrug off the blow. Before she had time to think anything else, she saw the skeletons flash to life, and suddenly the hopeless scene was replaced by fire. Her first reaction was to shield her eyes and face against the intense heat, even though she was halfway across the chamber, and her first thought was that Andariel had manifested some new attack, and that she was done for. But, when she looked up, she saw Andariel clutching her face and screeching, her flesh burning away, and the number fifteen clicked in her head. She suddenly understood what Rashaban had done. She heard a thump, and saw Rashaban, thrown a good ten feet away by the explosion, lying on the ground, unmoving. She ran over to him, as fast as she could, dodging past Andariel, who was flailing about trying to put out the flames, but succeeding only in making them hotter.

She reached Rashaban, and saw that he was in bad shape. The explosion had not only thrown him up high enough in the air to land ten feet away, but he was covered in burns. She tried to wake him; he was still alive, but out. She needed to end Andariel quickly, before she could come back and finish the job. She stood up and turned around, and saw that Andariel was trying to put herself out in what remained of the blood lake. Since Andariel was down in the pit, she was almost on eye level. Kara hefted a javelin and put it through Andariel's neck.

"This isn't over.", she thrust the words out like another javelin.

Andariel turned towards her, smeared in blood and embers, her flesh still crackling away like parchment in fire. Kara wondered if she finally saw a hint of fear in those horrible eyes.

They stood, facing each other, each knowing that the outcome was no longer clear. Rashaban had brought Andariel to her keens, and now Kara had a chance.

"I couldn't have said it better myself", Andariel's voice scraped over her burned tongue.

Andariel swung around, slashing at Kara with her claws. Kara was about to jump aside, but then, quick as lighting, changed her tactic. She jumped aside only enough to take the hit lightly. Then she intentionally stumbled, just a Rashaban had done. Andariel could easily kill Rashaban, and Kara needed to keep all her attention. She got up as fast as she could, took a potion for the poison, and backed away, keeping an eye on Andariel. The demon turned, with half an eye on Rashaban, but Kara threw a javelin to her face.

"You'll pay attention to ME, vile beast!", she yelled, as she jumped at her.

Andariel's three remaining legs snapped forward at her, and Kara realized that she had taken a big risk. Andariel's blows all landed solidly, but without the force they would have had before the explosion. Kara fell back without ever landing her hit, dropping her javelins as she struck the floor. She broke her fall, and scrambled towards the door, holding her wounded stomach, and wincing at her slashed legs. She drank a healing potion as she scrambled along, doubled over.

"This is not the last you'll see of me, fiend!," she shot back over her shoulder as she retreated. "I'll be back with the rest of the Rogues, now that you are weak, and they won't fall for your tricks again."

As Andariel lumbered out of the lake, she called back, "My minions will cut you down before you reach the waystone!"

"Your minions? I'm more than a match for those slime, even wounded. I'm above them, you should know that by now." Kara was almost at the door. 'This had better work.', she thought.

"Your friend is mine if you run!" Andariel screeched.

As Kara pulled her javelins away from the door, she desperately tried to put on the best performance she could, throwing mock tears into her eyes and breaking her voice, as she called back, "He's dead already; and he died to bring you down!" As she yanked the door open, she called back once more, nothing but vengeance in her voice, "I hope you're ready to die! Prepare yourself. I'll be back within the hour. With my own army." Hoping against hope that Andariel was fooled, Kara slammed the door and barred it.

Andariel, knowing that would be the end of her, lunged towards the door, all thoughts of the necromancer banished from her mind. She covered the ground in two great strides and smashed it open, breaking her fist in the process. It was barely big enough for her to fit through, so she crouched down to see where Kara had gone.

Shoving her head through, she saw nothing. Mentally calling her minions to gather around the waystone as fast as they could, she pushed herself through the door and into the next room. They would not stop her, but they would surely slow her down enough for her to catch up. The broken javelins caught in her back and arm as she pushed through, tearing her flesh apart even farther and breaking several ribs and bones in her arm. She stumbled through the door, and she knew that with a few more solid blows, she was done for. She willed her body back into shape as much as she could, and bones realigned themselves and flesh stretched back into shape. However, every blow to her body was also a blow to her will, and she knew she could not hold out much longer. Bones ground together as a javelin head stuck in her knee broke, and she rose to her feet, headed for the stairs. She could not let that pest escape.

Kara, hiding behind the ruins of the wrecked door, waited until Andariel was almost to the stairs before making her move. 'She has to be almost dead', she thought. 'After all that punishment, she just _has_ to be.' She decided now was the time to make her move. She would use the Human Arrow technique. She rushed forwards, running as fast as she could, covering the distance in mere seconds. She yelled just as she reached her foe, without stopping. She had seen how Andariel moved, and the timing had to be perfect. Her wounded legs flared up in pain at the move, but she knew it had to be done.

Just as Andariel turned, Kara sprinted straight to the wall, jumped at it, and in that same instant, jumped off the wall, so that she was facing the direction she had come, in midair, ricocheting of the wall and using the speed from her sprint to slice through the air. She was parallel to the ground, and she held her last javelin to her chest. She had aimed right for Andariel's solar plexus. She struck with full force, burying the javelin so deep that it broke through her body. Andariel crashed to the floor, on her back, the javelin hitting with such force that it broke a crack in the floor, and stuck there. Kara leapt off of the fallen demon, drew out Charsi's blade, and, as Andariel drew up her legs to lift herself off the javelin, severed her hamstrings, bringing them crashing back to the ground. The demon would have been shrieking if her lung had not been punctured.

Andariel tried to lift herself using her arms and spider legs, but the angle was all wrong, and she didn't want to break off the javelin inside her.

Now that she had Andariel on the ground, Kara didn't miss a beat, and ran to sever the tendons in her right arm, which was still trying to lift her off the javelin. Andariel's spider legs were now pinned underneath her, completely useless. Kara ran to slice at her other arm, and although Andariel flailed at her, Kara managed to stick her dirk where it needed to go. She stepped back, breathing hard, her grip tight on her knife, and beheld what she had finally done. Andariel lay on her back, the tendons in her limbs severed, her spider legs pinned. She should be out for the moment, but her minions would come soon, and she had wounded her legs further by using the Human Arrow. Even with healing potions, she wouldn't be able to use any fancy moves for a while. She drank one, and then stumbled back to look for Rashaban; she needed to make sure nothing had come to kill him, and that he was all right.

She found him, flat on the floor as he had been when she left, utterly broken. She tried to raise his head, and got no response. She suddenly remembered how she had awakened him before, and held her knife to his throat. Slowly, jerkily, he regained consciousness.

"Can you walk?", she asked.

Slowly, painfully, he shook his head.

"My leg is broken." he mouthed. "And my ribs."

"Can you raise something to help you?"

Rashaban slowly nodded. "In a minute. Is she dead?"

"No, but she's out for now"

"Leave some potions, then go keep at it. I'll be fine, now."

She did, and then rushed back to find that Andariel had broken the javelin, and her tendons were stretching back together for one last, desperate push. She ran forward and sliced them again. She ran to each limb in turn, making sure that it did not recover its strength. Andariel wheezed a curse, but it was lost in her cracking, hoarse breath. She was finally beginning to falter. Kara cut her throat, and then stabbed down to her heart, but missed. Andariel was writhing in pain, making it harder and harder for Kara to get a clear shot. She kept cutting but always fell short of the mark. She saw Rashaban stumble into the room, leaning heavily on a skeleton, and he drew out his own magical dagger. He stopped just short of Andariel for a moment, to collect himself. They both walked up to her, and Rashaban intoned, in a clear voice driven by triumph despite his burned throat, "I gave you a chance. Now you are banished, forever."

They both plunged their knives into her, until crackling flashes of light began to seep from the wounds.

"She can't hold herself together." Rashaban said, with a mixture of triumph and relief. "Step back."

They did, and Rashaban, still leaning on his skeleton, said, "Do you think you could pull out a town portal scroll? My hands are full here."

Kara did, but found the letters jumbled.

"She's blocking us!", she snapped, in irritation.

"Fiend! We have defeated you! Let us pass!", barked Rashaban.

Andariel's voice came through, even though her mouth was engulfed in light, "Fools! You may have defeated me, but you will die here! My will holds this very room together, and now that I am gone, it will crumble around you." Her voice slowly faded off with a sadistic laugh, and with that, her body began to dissipate even faster, and they both heard a rumbling sound.

"The Rogues still built this room! It'll hold!", yelled Kara.

Rashaban moved to the nearest wall, and motioned Kara to come, too. He dropped the skeleton, and raised a golem in its place. It crouched over the both of them, absorbing the rocks that fell into itself. The rumbling kept up for quite a while, Rashaban holding his eyes shut and concentrating all his will onto keeping the golem up. Eventually, it stopped. Kara looked out from under the golem, and found that the stairway had been partially blocked by the rocks. Andariel's minions would be held up for a bit.

She said, simply, with a long sigh and a breath of relief, "It's over."

Rashaban let the golem go, exhausted, and they were both silent for a long while, huddled together against the wall.

"It's over." she repeated.

Rashaban nodded, his eyes still closed, and his body shaking in exhaustion and pain, and said, "If the stairs are blocked, then I'll be fine here. Go and find the treasure."

Kara looked at him blankly. "How can you think of treasure at a time like this?"

Rashaban responded through shaking teeth. "_I_ don't…care…we'll get our ….due…all the Rouges who came…died…we can't go back…empty handed…what kind of….heroes would we be…then…?"

Kara nodded slowly. That did make sense, to have something tangible to show the Rouges. But, how he had thought of it now, she didn't know.

"Are you sure you'll be alright here?"

A wan smile crossed Rashaban's face. "…I've already been saved by you… twice…don't…rub it in…"

Kara smirked. "You can't be that bad if you can afford to be sarcastic."

"…just…go…"

Kara told him to wait, while she went to look for the treasure.

She took a torch and went back to Andariel's sanctum, no quite sure what to expect. She found several cowardly demons who had stayed holed up while their master died, and quickly slew them all. She found large stashes of treasure, and was about to take as much as she could carry, but then she decided that the Rogues would reward them when they got back, and all this belonged to the Rogues, anyway. She took some of the most powerful-looking weapons and armor, and a fair bit of gold, stowing them all in a sack, and heading back to the room. Rashaban was barely conscious, but he was awake.

"Ready?", he asked, shakily.

She nodded, and walked over to him, still holding the bag.

"Think this will be enough to satisfy the Rouges?", she asked.

He nodded. "…they…just…need to…see something…substantial"

Kara smiled. "This is _plenty_ then. Now let's stop messing around here, you need some magical healing, and fast."

Rashaban didn't look like he was in the mood to argue the point.

"Let's go", he said.

Kara nodded, and pulled out a scroll. The letters were still jumbled, but they were slowly reforming. Kara kept one eye on the stairs and one on the scroll, until the letters were all finally back in place.


	21. A Slight Misunderstanding

In the Rogue encampment, tensions were high. They had been gone a good three hours, and there was no word from them. Nobody was ready to say anything yet, but the outlook was not good. Then, a portal opened in the middle of the camp. Everybody rushed to see who had made it back.

The first thing to come through was a heaping bag of treasure. Then, Kara and Rashaban stepped through together, Kara supporting him so he could walk, his arm around her shoulder. A great cheer went up, for they knew Andariel was no more.

The cheer died, however, when the portal closed behind them. Kayasha was the first to break the silence. "I don't mean to be critical at a time like this, but is anyone else coming?"

Rashaban tried to speak, but his voice broke and he stumbled, his burns getting the better of him. Kara spoke up, "Were it not for them, we would not be coming back at all." Rashaban nodded.

Kayasha bowed her head. "I see."

There was a silence, while the Rogues bowed their heads as one.

Warriv looked around. He, along with some others, had been planning on having a feast for the returning heroes, and this mood wouldn't do. After letting the silence linger, he spoke up at just the right moment, "Well, I know that's terrible, but we need to congratulate our heroes! A feast is in order!"

His proposal brought a second cheer from all those assembled, and they all rushed off to prepare, and to hurriedly put from their minds all those who had died. That night would be a great celebration; their fortunes were finally tuning around. They pushed the thoughts of the dead from their minds, the mourning would be put aside until the right time.

Everybody rushed off to prepare and forget, leaving the two of them standing alone in the middle of the camp. Rashaban was fading fast, and now that no one was looking, Kara could see that he was ready to collapse.

"Come on," she said, "Let's go find Akara…" But, Akara was already on her way. She stepped up to them, and bade them come to her tent. She fixed them up as well as she could, with her healing magic and potions, but they were still worn out even magical healing could only do so much. This had been the hardest endeavor of their lives. "Rest here", she said when she was finished. "The feast should be ready by sundown. Everyone has been storing up for it, but they didn't want to say anything. All will be prepared for you."

They both nodded gratefully. As she stepped out, they were both in disbelief of what they had just done. Kara could see that Rashaban was still in bad shape, despite Akara's care. She was about to suggest that he get some sleep before the feast, but he was already dozing on the floor. Kara realized that, she too, was a lot more worn out than she had originally thought, and followed his example.

Outside Akara's tent, everything was proceeding quickly. Messengers were sent out to bring the Rogues who were out on patrol back to the camp. Charsi's forge did oven duty. Everything that everyone had been hoarding for this moment, now was being prepared.

The camp was bustling with activity, but it was more than that. The camp had been busy before, but there was always a sort of pall hanging over the camp, and the work was being done just to get through another day. Now, there was not only activity, but something else was there. Hope. The work had a purpose now; they were actually going to celebrate! The pall over the camp had been lifted, to be replaced by a glimmer of happiness. After all the ceaseless toil and death, things were finally starting to turn around.

Kara and Rashaban slowly awoke to a warm feeling of relief; they had won. Everything up until now, their training, their trials…had culminated in this. They had banished one of the Greater Demons, and lived to tell the tale. They slowly rose from their seats, looking at each other, the glow of victory permeating the very air. Despite their weariness, they left the tent; their quick rest had done them good.

The first thing they noticed as they left the tent was the time; night had fallen, and the camp was ablaze with torches. Rogues were running everywhere, finishing up the food. Kayasha noticed that the two had emerged, and yelled, so the entire camp heard: "OUR HEROES HAVE AWAKENED!" Her announcement was met with a roar of applause and a stream of Rogues. The two were practically carried across the camp to the bonfire in the center, where a great table had been set up, laden with food. It was not exotic, but Rashaban and Kara had no idea that the Rogues ever had this much food.

They were seated at the head of the table. The story was retold once, by the both of them. The Rogues listened to it all with rapt attention. They winced and shouted when they heard how Andariel had stabbed their comrades in the back. They listened in amazement as the heroes recounted how each direct attempt to kill her was met with failure. They clapped at Kara's heroic diversion. They listened to the tale of the lake of the dead, but they did not truly understand, because they had not witnessed it. They cheered when they heard how Rashaban had brought the fifteen back from the grave to strike one last time at Andariel; they listened in awe and looked at Rashaban with new respect when they heard how he had given the Rogues their last chance. After they finished relating how Andariel had been banished, a cheer went up that could be heard for miles around.

After that, things became a blur. Once the feast had begun, the two heroes floated on a wave of victory, retelling the story countless times over, as the Rouges broke open kegs of mead and bottles of stronger stuff. They were shown to a tent with all their treasures piled high, and Cain sitting in the corner with a slight smile on his face, happy to tell them whatever they wished to know about the magical items. They were given whatever they could carry out, and one name in particular caught Kara's attention.

"A Pelta Lunata Buckler." she said in awe, strapping in on. These are legend among the Amazons." "Fitting that you should have it", replied Cain.

Rashaban, his head still fuzzy, simply grabbed for the first thing he could find that looked useful. "Nice boots", he muttered, stowing them in his pack, barely listening to Cain telling him about their powers of speed. Then, it was back out to the feast. About halfway through, the Rogues began to notice the heroes dropping off; their actions were beginning to catch up with them. Though the Rogues were not even close to finished with their celebration, the heroes were led off to a tent amid thundering congratulations.

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Their guide led them through the camp to a tent that had not been there the day before. She handed Rashaban the lantern. "We cannot express our gratitude…", she began.

Rashaban cut her off, "You don't need to. We merely did what was right. Right Kara?"

He turned to her, and she nodded back. "Right. We were just doing the right thing."

Rashaban turned back to her, but she was gone. He thought that was odd, but shook it off. He needed his sleep. They both plowed through the flap, completely exhausted.

As soon as they entered, and the lantern light spilled over the contents, Kara stopped short. Rashaban pushed past her, and sat down on the bed. He had no idea the Rogue camp possessed a real bed. It would be good to sleep in something other than a bedroll. He sighed in exhaustion, and began to untie his boots.

"I'm completely had it." He said. "This whole killing greater demons thing has worn me out. I can't wait to get to sleep. How about y…"

As he turned, he saw the look on her face. The instant he saw that look, he ducked, drew his dagger, and stabbed behind him, hitting nothing but air. He whirled around, every sense on alert, expecting to see a demon behind him. He saw absolutely nothing. He looked back over at Kara, who still had the same look on her face. It was a look of shock. Shock and dread. Such shock and dread that he knew something bad had happened. But, whatever it was, it wasn't here.

"What? What's with that look? You scared me half to death with it. I thought I was going to be assassinated. What is it? There's nothing here."

Kara seemed to be at a loss for words. "Do you…notice anything…different about this tent? Anything off?"

"As in, evil aura off? No. It's fine."

Kara managed to gulp. "That's not what I meant."

"Well, let's see. After being scared out of my wits, I suppose I could manage to examine a tent. It has a solid cloth roof, which is a rarity around here, a table, which is common, a bed, which I didn't even know the Rogues had, it's rather roomy, and-"He cut off in mid-sentence. A strange expression formed on his face. "..I'm going to assume there's a _second _tent next to his one."

Kara looked slightly relieved at his reaction.

"There must be some mistake.", he muttered reassuringly, grabbing the lantern, and heading outside, mumbling about a second tent. He came back a few seconds later.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Kara shook her head, the look still on her face.

Rashaban sighed. "Ok…umm…this is awkward."

Kara was silent.

Then Rashaban said, "Look, you know what? I don't need a bed. I like bedrolls. I like them a lot. You just stay here, and-"

"How could they think that?", Kara blurted out. "What have we done to give them that idea?"

"I don't know." replied Rashaban, embarrassed both by the Rogues' proposal and the thoughts that had suddenly taken root in this own head. "Maybe it's a local custom or something."

"Local custom be damned! How could they even think that?! Have they no decency?!"

Kara began pacing the tent, while Rashaban sat back down and rubbed the bridge of his nose trying to think of some way to get this to blow over so he could go to sleep.

Kara was getting mad. "I mean, sure, we go on missions together, and sure, we're both outsiders, but that doesn't mean that we…"

"Look, just forget it."

"No, I won't forget it. I'm going to go out there and give them a piece of my mind. Coming?"

Rashaban did his best to look tired.

"Agh!" and with that, she was gone.

Rashaban laid down heavily, his mind racing.

'This is _not_ happening. I just isn't. It's against the laws of nature for me to have to put up with this now. I just banished a Greater Demon, not six hours ago. I risked my life, performed a spell that was far beyond me, and lived to tell the tale. That's above and _beyond_ breaking several ribs and burning my entire body. That _still _isn't entirely healed. And now, I'm in the middle of this mess. What_ did_ we do to give them that idea?'

'Well, now that you mention it, she is rather-'

'Oh, shut up.'

'Who cares about any of this? I'm burnt out, and I'm going to sleep. If Kara has such a hard time with those stupid, gossiping Rogues, then let her deal with them.'

Part of him was ready to accept that, but another part wasn't. 'I appreciate the sentiment, but she's pissed. Her pride's been hurt. Do you have any idea how much trouble she's going to cause? She's going to go make a fool of herself.'

'Hmmmm….either way, I'm not getting any. Off to bed, then.'

'Will you shut up?! Look, remember, back before you left, how old what's-his-name-uuhh, Mortec or something, slithered out of that accusation that he'd-?'

'Yes, yes, I remember. He never did it. So what?'

'Remember how he slipped out of it?'

'Heh. Yeah, that took some-oh, you're not serious. You're not seriously considering getting out of this soft, comfortable bed to go screw around and pull what he did? Just for the sake of some stupid gossip?'

'Hey, she saved you back there. _Again._ The least you can do is go and do this. It's not even that complicated.'

'What's the point of helping a sexy Amazon if I'm not even going to get-'

'That's not the point; you owe her for saving you. You owe her _anyway_. Besides, you weren't even thinking of her that way until these stupid Rogues set it up.'

'…kind of dumb of me, huh? Have even _seen_ her-'

'I'm going to ignore that. We don't even have to do his whole stunt, just that last part. Remember? It worked back then. This won't even take ten minutes. Now get out there and do it.'


	22. A Slight Clarification

Kara marched around the camp furiously, looking for Kayasha. Most of the Rogues were plastered, and didn't even notice her. 'Did they think she would stoop so low?! How dare they!' She eventually found Kayasha, drunk, with Warriv. She guessed they were 'reliving some old tales'. Apparently, when Warriv said he and Kayasha went way back, he wasn't kidding. But she didn't care. "Kayasha, I have a bone to pick with you.", she yelled, almost unheard over the rest of the clamor.

They both looked surprised. Surprised and very, very drunk. "Is someshing wrong wish your…accommodashuns?"

"I'll tell you want's wrong with them. You and our cohorts ought to be-" she was cut off by an unearthly loud screeching. The drunken Rogues were slow to respond. The few sober ones were up in a flash, their bows nocked. They rushed outside, grabbing torches as they went. Rashaban limped after them from out of nowhere, still nursing his broken bones. He ordered the drunken Rogues to stay where they were; they would cause more trouble than they were worth.

Kara stayed where she was, glaring at Kayasha all the while, but waiting to see what the scream was about before continuing her tirade. After a few minutes, they came back inside. Seeing from across the camp that Kayasha was in no shape to give orders, they told Rashaban instead, "We saw a few things running into the forest, but we lost them. They scratched 'revenge' into the wall." The Rogues looked none too happy; with the rest of the camp completely trashed, they were the only ones to hold off a vengeful strike.

Just what Rashaban wanted them to think. 'Okay, there's one down, on to the next part', thought Rashaban. Kara was still trying to yell at Kayasha, who was paying her no mind.

Hoping he could catch her before she caused too much trouble, Rashaban gave a quick speech to the gathered sober Rogues. "We cannot afford to let our guard down. Post an all night watch, just like any other night. They are scattered now, but they may try to attack." He felt slightly guilty about making the few Rogues who had the foresight not to drink take an all night watch, when there was nothing out there but his skeletons. However, this was how the trick had worked last time, and who knew if there might not be a real attack?

Kara chose that moment to give up on the drunken Kayasha and Warriv, she couldn't even tell who she was yelling at anymore, and try for the sober Rogues.

As Rashaban finished his little speech, Kara came barreling over, screaming at the top of her lungs: "And you! You were in on it to! What were you thinking? Why, I ought to…" she continued screeching at them, and they continued to be utterly bewildered by what she was yelling about.

'Perfect timing', he thought. Rashaban muttered, in the barest of whispers; _sleep_. Kara immediately slumped to the ground, in mid-rant, finally falling over, completely unconscious. The Rogues looked extremely confused.

Rashaban shifted gears as smoothly as he could; "I'm afraid she's had a bit too much to drink. Amazons, for all their good qualities, cannot handle their alcohol. Take her to her bed."

The Rogues accepted that readily enough, but one of them spoke up, "Umm, I don't mean to be rude, but wouldn't _you_ like to take her yourself? You don't have to worry about the guard, we wouldn't want to spoil your special evening."

Rashaban smiled a half smile. "Oh, yes, that. A misunderstanding. There is nothing like that between us. We are comrades, nothing more. I'm sorry if we gave you the wrong impression, but it's nothing like that. Please, do me a favor and take her to her bed. I think I shall retire to mine." With that, Rashaban left the Rogues and walked, as quickly as he could without looking suspicious, to his own tent.

Once he was safely out of sight, he silently breathed a sigh of relief. It had worked perfectly. Overshadow the issue at hand with something worse, then slip in the solution as an afterthought. Just how his old friend Mortec had done it, years ago. Knowing the gossiping Rogues, the news would quickly spread, and the Rogues would not think such things any more. Now, he just had to tell Kara, before she spoiled everything.

He stole back to her tent without being seen, easily dodging the drunken Rogues, and woke Kara up from her magical sleep.

"Ugh…why am I back here?"

Rashaban shushed her. "I took care of it. Don't worry. Go to sleep. By midafternoon tomorrow, no one in the camp will think that anymore." He explained, as quickly as possible, what he had done. "Now, go to sleep before I have to put another spell on you."

Kara did not look impressed. "They should be ashamed of themselves."

He knew that she was so indignant that she would go out again.

"Be that as it may, I took care of it. Now, _sleep_."

On the way back, he tried to think of what they had done to give that impression. As much as he inwardly wished it was true, he decided it was nothing; that's just how some people think. He hardly had time for such feelings.

Back in his tent, the extra hour or so of spell casting, quick thinking, and general deception caught up with him, and he barely slipped into his bedroll before he was out. His last thought was that if he could banish Andariel _and_ sort out this mess in one day, then he could do anything.

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Rashaban awoke late the next day, utterly exhausted. He was sore everywhere, his broken ribs hurt, and the burns all over his body were acting up. His leg was in a splint, so he could walk on that fairly well, but it still hurt. He staggered out of his tent, and could immediately tell that the rest of the camp thought it was much worse off than he was. He shook his head, glad that he hadn't had much of anything to drink the night before. The entire camp was a giant hangover, save the guards he had posted last night. Speaking of which… He wandered over to Kara's tent, but she was still enjoying her newfound bed, sound asleep. He shrugged, and went for breakfast; it was clear that, eve in the face of a full scale assault, nothing was going to be done today. He went to check in with the few Rogues that were on guard. They reported minor incidents, but no organized assaults.

The Rogue he checked with was Flavie, not one of the ones he had informed last night. "By the way", she asked, "I don't mean to pry, but I hear that you and Kara aren't really…you know."

Rashaban smiled. "No, unfortunately for me, we are not. 'Tis a great tragedy, but", here he shrugged helplessly, "what am I to do?" They both laughed at that.

Rashaban continued, "No, a misunderstanding. We are comrades, nothing more." He had not expected it to travel so quickly.

She nodded. "I see. Please forgive your little surprise, then."

He smirked. "Think nothing of it. By the way, where is our fearless leader?"

"You mean our drunken leader?", she said with another smirk. "In her tent. She has refused to leave."

Rashaban nodded. "Well, I know you've been out for quite a shift, but keep it up, would you? I'm in no shape to do anything, and it doesn't look like anyone else is, either. At least, not today."

She nodded back. "No problem. We'll be sure to take a well deserved rest after those drunkards are back to normal." Rashaban smiled, and began to turn away.

Flavie stopped him with a word, "Oh…"

"Hm?"

"I really don't mean to pry, but I just can't help but ask; are you two fond of each other, at least? I mean, you've been through quite a bit together, and I hate to say it, but most of us around here have been less than welcoming to either of you, so you stick together quite a bit. I know it's none of my business, but I guess what I'm trying to say is; why not?"

Rashaban thought for a moment, then replied, "I don't know. I guess we just do things differently where we come from. I guess it also comes from being raised in a monastery." He shrugged. "I admit, when I saw our 'accommodations', I _wished_. But, I just don't really think of her that way. And, she doesn't either. We're just two comrades, on the same mission. Not much time for a personal life."

She nodded. "A noble way to live, I suppose."

"I never really thought of it like that, but I suppose so."

"Would you like a bit of free advice?"

Rashaban snickered, "You know how much free advice is worth."

Flavie laughed. "I saw Solmo pass through this place. You are like him; not you alone, but the both of you together. You have a presence that he had, but only when you are together. You two are destined for great things. Solmo was defeated by a fluke. I doubt that the same fate shall befall the two of you."

Rashaban was utterly stunned. He had always thought that in the back of his mind, but he had never spoken those words aloud to anyone. And, it was always about himself. Perhaps that was a bit arrogant, but he had never considered Kara at all as part of the big picture.

Seeing that Rashaban was at a loss for words, Flavie kept going, "I don't mean that the two of you will save the world by yourselves. What I do mean is that you have to hang on to her; don't get separated. All too often, adventures wander away on the currents of the circumstances, never staying too long in one spot or with one group. But you…you have to hang on to her. You respect her as a comrade, and have her as a friend…don't let that end."

Rashaban was now even more at a loss than before. He had no idea how to respond.

"I'm older than you think, and I've seen quite a bit. Trust me. In fact, go see how she's doing now. She may be awake."

With that, Flavie walked off, leaving Rashaban utterly confused, with images of an Amazon running through his head.

At Kara's tent, he was still utterly confused.

"Well, good morning", she said. She was obviously in about the same shape he was, still in bed. She sat up on her elbows.

"You look like something's wrong.", she said. "Did your little plan backfire?"

"No, no, it actually worked faster than I expected. I… well, first, how are you doing?"

"As well as could be expected after yesterday. I didn't break any bones, but I've been better. So, all that mess is cleaned up?"

Rashaban nodded. "Every bit." He smirked. "The news spread so fast, even Flavie knew."

With that, she sighed heavily and thumped back down. "_Finally_. What a disaster. Well, now that that's over with, I suppose we should do something about Andariel's army, but all I feel like doing is sleeping."

Rashaban nodded. "We deserve it. Hey, speaking of that, I just had an….ummm odd conversation with Flavie."

"Oh, what about?"

"Nevermind. She just said we were destined to win."

"What's so odd about encouragement?"

"It's just…the way she said it. Forget it." He shook his head. "Anyway, the entire camp is hungover, so nothing's going to happen today. We may as well stay in bed. Want me to bring you something?"

Kara laughed. "_You_, bring _me _something? You look worse than I feel. And, you're the one with the broken bones, not me. You head back to bed, and _I'll_ bring _you_ something to eat."

Rashaban suddenly felt the pain in his leg and ribs, and heartily agreed. "As long as it doesn't give the Rogues any more ideas." he laughed on his way out. As he slowly walked back to his tent, he wondered about what Flavie had said. What did that _mean_? 'Oh, well', he thought, 'At least we won. Let's not go overboard here.'

When Kara brought him his food, he knew that she felt the same. They were friends, comrades, and that was it. 'No reason to read too much into things.', he thought with a slight pang of regret. They both stayed in bed, with the rest of the camp, while Flavie and the others kept watch.

The next day, the Rogues had recovered, and all was back to normal, save that hope was now found throughout the camp. Rashaban and Kara stayed in their tents, still wounded, but were still showered with congratulations and praises. No attacks came.

The following day, scouts were sent out. They never returned.


	23. We're Not Done Here

It took about a week for Rashaban and Kara, with Akara's magical healing and potions, to fully recover. While he had been bedridden, a question had been bothering him. He had asked Akara how Andariel had returned in the first place. Hadn't the Rogues taken back the Monastery? The answer was that they hadn't; they had pushed the demons back to the Dark Wood, and set a large guard around the Underground Passage, so that they were kept bottled up while the Rogues recovered. The Rogues had been in the process of regaining their numbers when Andariel had returned again.

Rashaban now knew the reason. Solmo had rushed off through the eastern pass, never looking back, and the Rogues had not been strong enough to retake the Monastery. The more powerful demons had probably congregated, performing rituals to bring her back should Solmo ever fail, rather than going for revenge. And their gambit had paid off. Andariel had probably come back to find things just the way she had left them, with a large army still intact.

As soon as he felt well enough, he went to Kayasha to explain. After he was through, she looked crestfallen. "I see… so it won't be so easy, then?"

"You made a mistake last time. You were weak from years of fighting, and thought that you could stall the problem until you were ready to deal with it."

Kayasha nodded. "We knew they wouldn't get any reinforcements, so we thought that would work. You must understand; Solmo had gone, and we just didn't have the numbers. It would have been suicide to try and retake the Monastery."

Rashaban nodded. "I understand. But, you can't do it again. I know that the Rogues must be even weaker now than they were before, but you cannot let them be. They must be eliminated."

"But, can they bring her back, if you banished Andariel?"

Rashaban lowered his head a bit, and mumbled, "Only if we fall."

"I see. So, they can't bring her back while you are alive."

"Yes. Since we banished her, we are what seals her away."

"So, if you fall, then she will return no matter what? What good will taking back the Monastery do, then? What difference will it make?"

"You don't understand. She has to be _summoned_ back by someone or something. Nothing can do that as long as we live. However, were we to die, they could. If they summon her back to the Monastery once more, the Sisters of the Sightless Eye are done for. But, if you have control of the Monastery, then she would have to take it from the outside. Even with vastly inferior numbers, you Rogues would have a fighting chance."

"So, taking back the monastery is…insurance, in the event of your failure?"

"I suppose, but there's more to it. The monastery is the only bastion for a hundred miles. How many peasants live within an hundred miles of here?"

Kayasha shrugged, " A few thousand, scattered across the land."

"And they are all defenseless. The only reason they are still alive is because Andariel's army has not spread five miles out from the Monastery. And the only reason for that, is this camp."

A wan slime slowly spread across Kayasha's face.

Rashaban continued, "You see where I'm going with this. The Rogues are the last, no, the only line of defense for a thousand souls. So far, you have contained a threat from _within_ this land. Now, that threat is gone. What happens if there is a threat from _outside_?"

"The people will need somewhere to run to," Kayasha finished.

"Exactly. Have you kept this quiet from the peasants?"

"No, how could I? Many are ready to run. They are losing faith in us."

"Well, tell them that the threat is now gone. The Sisters of the Sightless Eye need three things right now; a solid base to fight the demons with, a training ground for new recruits, and a symbol of victory." he slapped his hand on the tent's table. "The monastery is all those things."

Kayasha did not look convinced. "You forgot more Rogues. We didn't have the strength to retake the Monastery when Solmo left; and we are even weaker now." Her face turned grave, and her voice turned to hoarse whisper. "Before Andariel, we had over a thousand Rogues. By the time Solmo arrived, our numbers had dwindled to five hundred. By the time he left, we had three. We were back up to four hundred when Andariel came back."

She stopped for a while, then picked up again, "The only reason this camp still exists is because, every week, a group of ten Rogues would volunteer to become the death squad. They would use a waystone, slay as many as they could, and keep going, closer and closer to the monastery. Once they entered, they never made it back out. Their objective was to simply kill as many as possible; thin out the ranks as much as possible. Keep Andariel busy until…" Here her voice broke a bit, "until another Solmo came."

Here, she looked Rashaban straight in the eyes. "Until you came. You and Kara. We were waiting for you."

In the back of his mind, Rashaban noted that he was at a loss for words quite often as of late.

Kayasha continued, "Do you remember when the camp was attacked by Dark Sisters, and you two weren't around to help? Part of me was angry, but a part of me knew that our wait was finally over. You didn't know it, but the death squads stopped that very day. I didn't show it, but I knew that you two were the ones. The ones who would end this, once and for all." Kayasha looked like she might cry. "I'm sorry, I've just lost so many comrades, so many friends; and the worst part is; I…I've killed them myself."

Rashaban put a hand on her shoulder, and looked at her downcast eyes. "There's nothing I can say to that. I'll leave you alone. You have dredged up enough sorrow for one day." Then, seeing that she needed to hear more, he looked at her until she raised her eyes. "This won't end the way it did before. I promise you that. Kara and I will not leave this place until we see your flag flying from the monastery. We will not leave until the job is done; until all is set right."

With that, he left the tent. He scoured the camp for Warriv and Akara, and sent them to her. As he went back to his tent, he realized that Kayasha had faced an evil that he could not even comprehend; shooting her best friends in the heart. That thought would not leave his mind.

The next day, Kayasha had refused to leave her tent; only Akara and Warriv ever entered. That left Kara and Rashaban in unofficial command, by Akara's order.

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A few days later, Rashaban silently entered Kayasha's tent. It was broad daylight, but dark inside.

"I just thought you might like to know," he whispered quietly, "That I'm taking a group of Rogues out on patrol. I have a plan; you can hear all the details once you…feel up to it." He felt like he was blathering. He didn't even know why he had come here. He just had to see that she was all right, he supposed; keep her informed. Akara had told him that Kayasha had never stopped for even a moment to grieve since Andariel had come. Even after she had been banished the first time, Kayasha had kept busy, had kept it out of her head. Her grief had been pent up for years, and now it was coming to the surface. Even a commander such as her had a soul.

Rashaban stood in silence for a moment, and silently turned to leave. As he did, Kayasha looked at him. They locked eyes for a moment. In that moment, Rashaban understood a tiny amount of the suffering that Kayasha had gone through. He understood a second of her sorrow. At that glance, his whole body shuddered visibly. As he hastily left the tent, any doubts about staying, any thoughts of breaking off to pursue Diablo vanished. He would _not_ make her face that again.


	24. A Glimmer Of Hope

Once outside, he ordered the Rogues he had selected to form up. As he walked out the front gate, he reviewed his plan once more in his mind. He knew that, if the scouts had not returned, they were bringing powerful, fast demons to the front lines. He knew their tactics. They would do the same as before; hole up in the monastery until they could summon their master once more. But, they wanted to keep the Rogues from regaining their power; they remembered being bottlenecked before, and did not want to repeat the experience. They would split into two forces, one at the monastery; one to guard the underground passage, with troops interspersed between. They knew that no reinforcements were coming; save a few Carvers that the shamans could pull through. So, they would stick together in larger groups than usual, hoping to outnumber any lone Rogues or small groups they came across. So far, their plan was working. Rashaban decided to change all that. He had taken twenty five Rogues, leaving Kara in command. Each Rogue had a town portal scroll; he would test the strength of their groups, then fall back.

As they first set out, they found nothing. Not even the usual zombies. They passed the Blood Moor and the Cold Plains, still nothing. 'This is worse than I expected', thought Rashaban. 'They are consolidating more than they should be.' They had traveled for quite a while, and the Rogues were beginning to become suspicious. Rashaban knew they were getting close to the Underground Passage, and knew that a trap was no doubt laid for them. The trees grew more and more dense, and, as they neared their destination, a flicker of moment in the trees ahead gave it away.

"Nock arrows", was to be his first command, but it died on his lips. He suddenly knew what they were facing. The only demons that could hide so well in these woods; Dark Sisters. So that was their plan. To overwhelm the Rogues with their own comrades. Another command formed on his lips, softly, so that those lying in wait would not hear; "Fall back. Everyone. Now. Send Kara."

The Rogues, who had seen nothing, were baffled at first. But, hearing the tone in his voice, were quick to comply.

Rashaban closed his eyes in concentration. He spun a curse of weakness at all around him, and kept spinning it.

As the scrolls were unfurled, the Dark Sisters realized they had been discovered, and drew their bows. But, their arms would not steady nor draw fully, and their arrows fell short of the mark.

As the first portals opened, the Rogues saw the sky dim with arrows. Even though only five portals were open, their reflexes kicked in, and the shimmering portals drew to a close before a second volley was loosed.

Five portals opened in the middle of the camp, twenty five Rogues flashing through them as quick as lightning. A stray arrow passed through one before it shut. They ran, as one, to find Kara. They had been out of their league; and they knew it. Outnumbered and outclassed. By their former comrades.

The Dark Sisters sneered from hiding at the one left behind. This was one of the ones who had slain their master; they could feel it. He had been the one who had seen through their deception; they had mastered hiding from the Rogues and knew all their tricks. But he had seen through it. He was only one man, alone now. But, they were still edgy, and weak from his curse. They eyed each other nervously. Andariel was no longer there to bring them back from the dead. As the curse wore off, they heard his voice, taunting them, and their resolve began to weaken instead. They were no match for him. But, if they came all at once…

Rashaban stood alone, facing his foes. From what he could see, there were ten lancers and ten archers hiding in the forest, but he knew there were more that he was missing. "A coward's tactic.", he yelled into the forest, as he unsung his crossbow, and bone armor sprang up around him. Nonchalantly cocking his crossbow and loading a bolt, he added to the one sided conversation, "An ambush is one thing. But, an ambush by you? And only you? That's low."

He could hear the Dark Rogues gnashing their teeth, trying to shake off the curse and attack. "But, it turned out better in the end. Simply because of who you are, you are your army's greatest weapon against the Rogues. Now, I've got quite a few of you in one place. And, Andariel isn't around to bring you back this time. With you out of the way, things will progress much more quickly." He scanned the woods for targets, wondering where Kara was. He knew they were probably ignoring him, but on the off chance they weren't, his taunts would make things a little easier. With that, he dropped his curse, took aim, and fired.

That was their only chance! Attack as one! As soon as his curse fell from their limbs, they rushed him, the lancers bursting out of hiding from behind the trees, the archers taking careful aim from sniping posts before letting their arrows fly, his bolt barely missing one of them. They came from all directions, eager to finish him and avenge their master.

As they came at him, he stood his ground, shocked at how many he had missed; there were hundreds. He was rocked behind his bone armor by the first volley of arrows, but he cast it again, and it held. As the lancers bore down upon him, he decided to take a gamble. He could have attacked. It would have been tough, but he was sure he could hold out until Kara arrived. However, he stood his ground and shouted back, "Did you see your comrades that you were about to kill? Just now? Did you see who you once were?! Before you sold your soul?!" Their charge faltered, just for a moment.

He didn't believe what he had seen. His gamble had worked. He had thought there was no hope of ever bringing them back, but now, he could see it all in his mind, there _was_ a way. They were still charging him, and suddenly, he knew what to do. He raised a golem from the earth, dropped his gemmed crossbow, and drew out his poison dagger, coating it with a blend he rarely used. He leapt into the fray head on, a curse of weakness upon all around him. He deftly evaded most of their attacks; any he did not broke against his bone armor. The archers had no way to shoot in. These were the hardest to fight, because their attacks had no set pattern as the rest of the demons did. However, his armor was tough, and every one that he stabbed went down without a sound. After leaving at least twenty of them lying on the ground, he broke and ran, back to the waystone. They ran after him but it was a half-hearted charge, and soon they gave up.

He ran into Kara on the way, running towards him. "Back to camp. Things have changed.", was all he said.

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Back at the camp, he explained the incident to Kara on the way to find Akara. Once they found her, they all sat down around her tent. When they told her what had happened, she looked unimpressed. "There is usually a shred of humanity left in those who have sold their souls. It does not mean, however, that a single shred can redeem someone who has fallen."

Rashaban shook his head. "I disagree. It can. Especially if that shard is the strongest, deepest part of that person. Even if everything else is gone, consumed by their terrible bargain; if that _one piece_ is left intact, then once the spell is broken, they can rebuild themselves."

Kara piped up, "Can somebody explain what's going on here? They didn't cover 'selling your soul' in my training."

Rashaban said, "Ok, in simple terms, they sold themselves to Andariel. I don't know why, and I don't want to know. The important thing is; what happens if you have an agreement with someone, and they die?"

"Well, it depends. You would still be obliged to follow through with it…"

Rashaban shook his head. "Bad example. Amongst honorable people, yes. It's different with demons. If they are banished, the contract no longer applies."

"So, why haven't they turned back into Rogues?"

"Because," Akara spoke up sharply, "whatever reason they had for selling themselves out, they have not renounced it."

Kara was still confused. "But, if Andariel was the source of their power, shouldn't they lose it anyway?"

"Think of it this way. If you sell yourself as a mercenary, and your employer gives you weapons and armor, and he dies, are you going to give them back to him? No. You no longer have to fight for him, but you're going to keep his equipment."

"So, their Dark Sister form is like armor?"

Rashaban cocked his head. "Sort of. It's a demon that possesses them, body and mind. That's what makes this so tricky. I say that if we can get past the demons to the Rogues, then we can get them to throw away the armor, so to speak. Renounce their deal, and the demon will leave them, and they will return to normal."

Akara said angrily, "And even if there were a way, they are still traitors. Even if we do get through to their minds, what made them betray us in the first place will still be there."

Kara shrugged. "People make mistakes, and wish they could take them back. Maybe this is their chance."

Akara looked at her with a steely gaze, "You, my dear child, have a very naïve view of human nature."

"Be that as it may," Rashaban interjected, "there is still hope. For some of them, at least." He continued: I didn't kill a single one; I just knocked them out. That, by itself, will get them thinking. I didn't even… Oh, no."

"What? What is it?"

Rashaban slapped his head. "I forgot my crossbow!" He cursed heartily. "My perfect, gemmed crossbow! Some demon has run off with it, and now I'll never find it!"

Kara looked disappointed, but Akara looked pleased. "Hmph. Serves you right. Thinking too much about what you don't understand, and you lost track of things. I don't just mean your crossbow. I mean your common sense."

Rashaban snorted. "You're one to talk. You're letting your emotions cloud your reason. This can work!"

"Even if it could, I wouldn't want to try!" Akara shot back. "I'd rather see them rot than join us again! Just so they can betray us once more! You don't understand; they are lost to us, to all humanity! The only thing they deserve now is a swift end."

Rashaban stood up. "I see. As far as you are concerned, they are already dead. Solely because of their choice."

Akara nodded fiercely.

"Well, let me tell you something. Kara is right. People do make mistakes. Especially when a demon is clouding their judgment, and everyone around them is pursuing the same foolish path. I know it's easier for us to say this; we aren't the ones who were betrayed. But know this; if you were in their skin, you would want a chance to rectify your foolish mistake."

Akara retorted, in a seething voice, "I would not be in their skin."

"So you say now, a wise old woman, for whom such recklessness is in the past. However, the Dark Sisters were, and are, young and foolish. You know how easily influenced the young can be. However, you are not being wise now; you are letting your emotions cloud your judgment."

Akara was silent for a moment, then spat, "Leave my sight! It is not your right to forgive traitors!"

"Perhaps not," Rashaban conceded.

"Wait a minute," Kara piped up, "We killed Andariel! We saved you guys! Doesn't that count for anything?"

"Regardless," said Rashaban, "We do not have the right. However, I know someone who does."


	25. Second Chance

Kayasha responded to the news quite differently. "Do you really have a way?", she whispered.

Rashaban shrugged. "Not yet; I'll need to go over the circumstances and my spells to figure out the details. The thought just occurred to me when their charge faltered; I don't have a plan. Yet." He paused. "But," he added, "I know that it can be done. I don't know if they will renounce their choice, but I know I can bring them back, out of possession."

"Have you spoken to Akara?"

"Well, she…didn't-"

"She wanted us to kill them.", Kara interjected. "Kill them all, slowly, and then hang their heads on the posts outside as a warning to others."

"Not _quite_," Rashaban chuckled, "But that was the spirit of it. Akara did not want to see them again, even if given the chance."

Kayasha nodded. "I see. A part of me agrees with her. And yet…" Here her eyes turned misty, "and yet, I cannot pass this chance by. If there is even a slight possibility that they could come back to us, then we must do it. Go, and form your plan. You will have my full cooperation."

Rashaban thought for a moment.

"Then, could you, perchance, scrounge up a socketed crossbow and some gems?"

Rashaban went back to his spell books to begin preparations. He knew there were several ways to exorcise demons from a single site, but that wasn't what he wanted to do. He poured over them for days, ordering no more scouts to be sent out.

After a week of preparation, he was ready, as well as Kayasha.

"Are you ready to go through with this?", he asked.

Kayasha nodded. "Yes. I know they betrayed us, but I want to give them another chance. I never want to kill them again."

"Just promise me," she added, "that if they do not take our offer, don't make me witness it again. It may be a tough battle for you and Kara, but I don't want to go through that again."

He nodded. "My spell is ready. Akara still refuses to participate?"

She had not left her tent since he had announced his plan. Her bitterness now surpassed any Kayasha had ever felt.

"Worthless old crone," Rashaban growled, "I could use her help." He shrugged. 'Oh, well, I can do this myself.', he thought.

Kayasha, Rashaban, and Kara stepped on to the waystone, and were gone.

They topped a rise as they approached the Underground Passage. Rashaban sat down, and began to concentrate, reaching out with his mind and feeling the position of every Dark Sister. He was shocked to see four to five hundred, hiding among the trees. Focusing on the group as a whole, he pushed away the ether around them. The demons, deprived of the ether, began to lose their focus; he could feel it.

After a few minutes, the trees ahead of them began to rustle. "It's finished," he whispered, still concentrating. "They should be themselves until I end the spell."

The two nodded, and walked forward. As they approached the forest, an arrow flew out of nowhere and landed at their feet. They could see nothing. Kayasha motioned Kara to stay back, a look of steely resolve on her face. She called out; "It's been a while."

A voice called back, familiar to Kayasha, but slightly hoarse from disuse, "Why have you come here? How are we ourselves again?"

"The Necromancer who killed Andariel is freeing your minds. I want to talk to you."

"You want to know why we sold ourselves?"

Kayasha shook her head. "No, I don't. I want you to renounce your deal, and come back with us. You can tell me later, when you aren't under the influence of a spell."

A figure stepped out from behind the trees, and Kara was horrified to see Blood Raven, almost as she had appeared in her test. Kayasha looked unmoved.

"That's not the way it works. We can't just stop. We sold our souls."

"The Necromancer says otherwise."

Blood Raven shook her head. "That's not what I meant. We can shake this curse off now, if we wished, since our demons are sedated. At the moment Andariel died, we could have, though it would have been harder. That's not it. We do not deserve to be among you once more."

Kayasha was speechless for a moment, and, tears welling up in her eyes, she spoke again; "I say otherwise."

Blood Raven lowered her eyes, "You do not know what we sold out for. I wish we could rectify our mistake, but it is such that we cannot go back. Every day would be torture, having to live with what we did. That is why we remained demons; we don't have to think, we don't have to feel the remorse or guilt for what we did. No sorrow. Nothing. Simply the battle. We don't even feel it when we kill our own, any more."

Kara piped up, cutting Kayasha off, "But, don't you see? All that could change! Kayasha is ready to forgive you of anything you may have sold out for! You were her friends! Why won't you take this?"

Blood Raven gave Kara a wan smile, devoid of mirth, but with a hint of curiosity. "Ah, yes, one of our master's killers. So, good willed, so trusting so…naïve. You obviously don't understand."

Kara shot back, "That's just what Akara said, but she's wrong! No, I don't understand what it's like, I've never done what you have, but you are still human! Everyone deserves a second chance! Why don't you take it! Swallow your pride, swallow your guilt, and take life! If you don't do this, then you're just stabbing Kayasha in the back again! Is that what you want?! Even if you can go back to being numb in five minutes, is that what you want?" Kara stopped to catch her breath, but yelled through her gasps, "Well?!"

Blood Raven nodded. "Yes…and no. I won't take the offer; it would be like letting plague victims into your midst. But, I won't stab anyone in the back again."

Kayasha called out; "Do you speak for everyone?"

In answer, the forest came alive, and they found themselves surrounded by countless corrupted Rogues. Kara grimly looked around, but Kayasha drew in a deep breath, astounded. "All of you….everyone…." For one moment she saw all her old comrades looking at her, immense sorrow on their eyes. As one, they knelt to her, slowly. It was not a kneel of honor, but a kneel of sorrow, a kneel of utmost repentance, a kneel of knowing that they could never repay what they had done. Kayasha looked at them with a mix of sorrow and happiness, and whispered, to no one in particular, with tears in her eyes, "Why? Why did it have to come to this? I…I wanted to you to stay…" She fell to her knees, overcome with emotion.

Blood Raven approached her, and laid a hand, gnarled by magic, on her shoulder. "I know this can never repay you for our…our betrayal, but each one of us regrets what she has done, and wishes that you were still her commander." She looked at the army kneeling around them.

"Allow us, please, if you will, to repay you in the only way we possibly can, now. Allow this one gesture of good faith to show you that we are still human on the inside; we just took a wrong turn, all of us. However, we will not let it destroy us again."

As one, the army rose to it's feet, and Kara wondered for a moment, from the look on their faces, if they were all going to kill themselves. It was a look of incredible sorrow, and of grim, final resolve. It was a look worn only by those who have faced death many times, and know that this will be the final time. The army marched towards the underground passage, and began disappearing into its depths.

"Please," Blood Raven pleaded, "allow us a favor. Lead us to battle, one last time." With that she saluted, and disappeared into the depths, after her army.


	26. The Final March

Kayasha slowly got up from the ground. Her face showed an emotion Kara could not distinguish. "Does that spell of his have a range?"

Kara shrugged. "I guess most spells do."

"Get him to the other side of the passage without breaking his concentration. Then, guard him while we fight." That was all she said, before vanishing after them.

'How am I supposed to do that?', wondered Kara as she trudged quickly back up the hill, still a bit confused.

When she got to him, he asked her, in a very slow whisper, "They're leaving. What happened?"

"Well, they won't turn, but Kayasha is leading them into a battle."

Rashaban looked confused for a moment, then said, "Well, this complicated things."

"How?"

"If I break the spell or do anything more than talk, they will be forced to make a choice. Keep their demons and lose their minds once more, or keep their minds and lose their demons. They will, of course, choose to lose their demons. Which will, in turn, make them less effective in combat. Also, they will become sick, and very weak. They will be slaughtered."

"So, if they stay within your range, they can keep their demons and their minds?"

"Yes."

"And, when they die?"

"I don't know. Stop bothering me with details and take me along before they get too far out of range."

"How? Carry you?"

He smirked slowly at the thought, but frantically pushed those thoughts aside; he couldn't afford to lose concentration now.

"Stop talking and go get Akara. I'll need her to keep the spell going while I move."

"She's not going to like it."

"Make her come. Now stop bothering me, this is getting harder as they move farther away."

Kara stepped back and opened a town portal scroll.

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She ran to get Akara. She was sitting in her tent, calmly organizing potions that Kara knew she didn't need to. "Rashaban needs you. Come with me."

"To do what?", she replied coldly.

Kara grabbed her by the arm, and yanked her to her feet. "There's no time. The Dark Sisters have decided to fight, rather than rejoin us. Kayasha is leading them, but Rashaban needs to move to keep the spell in range. He needs you to help him keep the spell going."

"It's just a trick. That foolish Kayasha is going to die, murdered by all of them. Your friend should have thought of that before hand."

Kara knew that logic would get her nowhere. "Listen, you old hag! They had the chance to turn back, and they didn't! Why? Because _they were too ashamed_. They couldn't live with the guilt of what they did, and this is the only way they know how to pay us back for their crimes. I know it's not a lie, because I heard Blood Raven say it herself, and Rashaban was inside their heads; he would have know if it was a lie. If you had been there, too, you wouldn't doubt it. They were some of the most heartfelt…sincere words I have ever heard spoken. Now, if you don't get out there, Rashaban is going to lose his spell, and they will become possessed again. Kayasha _will_ die, because of your stubbornness. Now, go!" Kara glared at Akara, flustered and out of breath.

Akara swiftly walked out of the tent towards the portal, as if she knew that with one more second of hesitation, she would stay behind.

"One question," she asked Kara on the way, "Why don't they just renounce their demons and then go and get themselves killed? That would save me a lot of trouble."

"Rashaban said that if they let go, they would become sick and weak. They wouldn't have a chance."

"Alright.", was all she said.

When they got to Rashaban, he had sweat on his forehead from trying to keep the spell on them. "What took you so long? I'm losing them."

Akara sat down beside him and said, "Let me take it from here… Ah, yes, I see what you did…"

Rashaban snapped out of it, and said, "Hold that as long as you can, until I take over. Then, come to me so we can keep following them."

"Why? Aren't they going on a suicide attack?"

Rashaban grinned a grin that was so full of satisfaction, Kara didn't know what could have caused it. "Yes, they are. All the way to the Monastery."

With that, he ran off. Kara looked at her, a pleading expression on her face, and said, "Please come and help. We need to see this though"

Akara remained stony faced.

Kara ran after him.

Rashaban sprinted through the passage unopposed, Kara right behind him. "Allright," he said, "Listen. I'm going to set up again as soon as we get out. The demons are going to know what I'm doing, and they will come after me. I can probably spare enough power for a skeleton, but that's it. You will have to keep them off me."

Kara nodded as she ran.

They burst out the far side, seeing the Dark Sisters marching in ranks, perfect military formation; lancers in the front lines, those with hand weapons behind, those with bows in the back. Some of them were beginning to falter in their steps, and start to twitch.

Rashaban sat down, eyes closed, and the Dark Rogues regained their composure.

Kara breathed a sigh of relief, and drew out her bow. No enemies yet, but this was probably going to be tough. She could take care of herself, she knew. She knew every single one of their tactics and tricks. But, she had never been very good a defending a stationary target. She scanned the area for enemies, and saw none. The Dark Sisters were marching through the Dark Wood, completely unopposed, towards their goal. As soon as they were out of bowshot, carvers bolted out of some ruins off to the left, and swarmed over the top of a hill to the right. She noticed that they were uncoordinated even for Carvers, probably an effect of Rashaban's spell, but they were still attacking. Kara sighed, and nocked her bow. Then, she thought better of it and grabbed her poisoned javelins off of her back. The best way she had to clear out a crowd of vermin. She hefted one, making sure the poison sack was intact, then threw it with all her might, impaling a carver and sending a cloud of venomous fumes into the air. One of them got back up as a skeleton and started attacking his cohorts. Kara hefted another, and threw once more. This was going to be an interesting battle, if not challenging.

Kayasha marched at the head of her unit, emotionless. It was not the emotionlessness of supreme sorrow, as one might have guessed, nor that of an executioner. It was the lack of emotion that comes when one has waited for something so long that it seems a lifetime, and it has been denied. It is the lack of emotion that comes when hope is lost in the wait, in the uncertainty, when that uncertainty has come full circle into certainty. When the hope of it has been thrust back into the recesses of the mind, and thought utterly extinguished. And when, after that time has come, some miracle pushes the hope back into light, and it is fulfilled against all odds. When one finds oneself in the middle of that fulfillment, there is no room for emotion.

Kayasha saw their adversaries advance as soon they passed to the edge of Rashaban's spell. Apparently, the more powerful demons had decided to hole up in the Monastery, and leave the rabble to do as much damage as they could, supported by a few bloodthirsty champions who stayed behind. It was a sorry lot that faced them; the force standing against them was comprised of the apes, zombies, skeletons, beastmen, and some Quill Rats. And the carvers. The carvers were interspersed between the units, the shamans desperately trying to pull more through into reality. There were more carvers than anything else. The hilly ground seethed with them; the sky was black with the corrupted birds. But, to the Dark Sisters, it was as if the ground seethed with ants, and the sky was black with gnats. The enemy before them numbered about seven hundred. Still, the Dark Sisters were by far the more powerful, and their enemies knew it. They shook where they stood, goaded to battle by the shouts and strikes of their champions.

Kayasha could tell that they were nearing the edge of Rashaban's influence, and that the demons had chosen their ground well. It mattered not. "If any of you cannot control yourselves, fall back. The necromancer will advance in time.", she raised her voice for all to hear.

They did not have to respond, for her to know that they understood.

The demon army came as one, from all sides. They were cut down in droves before ever reaching the front lines. And the front lines advanced. The lancers charged to meet them, those without lances stayed back to guard the archers. Birds dove out of the sky, but they could not touch the Rogues' magical armor. The archers directed one volley towards the pests, and they broke; their champions shot by Blood Raven.

Blood Raven had not forgotten how to use her powers, as she turned the zombies in the ranks on their comrades. One of the champions contested her control, before she shot it through the head with a fire arrow. She did not even look at Kayasha; she could not bear to. This was nothing; this rabble would be swept away before them. The mere fact that Kayasha was leading them again was almost too much for her guilty heart; she wanted desperately to drown those thoughts in the clamor of battle. But, this slight hold up was no battle. This was a chore, an exercise she had already been through. Save that before, the targets had been-. She cut herself off, and kept herself occupied by firing more and more arrows.

Kayasha looked around her to survey the situation. The demons were advancing in droves, but most were being cut down before they ever reached their lines. And when they did, the lancers made short work of them. The problem was that they were too far away from Rashaban; her troops were falling back by the dozen. But, they were falling back in order, not retreating, not running. Seeing that all was still well, she ordered a general fall back until the spell progressed.

Kara was fighting a losing battle. She was down to her last few javelins, and the carvers showed no signs of letting up. They were going to get through if she ran out of poison; there were just too many of them. She thought frantically; what else did she have that could effect a group? Nothing. She kept throwing, and was down to her last one. A few swarmed past her to her back, and charged for Rashaban. She called out, and he dropped his skeleton and put up Bone Armor, but that would only last so long. Then, she suddenly had an idea. She threw her last javelin, and drew out her dagger dramatically, angling it so that it glinted in the sun. "Look upon this, fiends! Look upon the blade that slew your master!"

The carvers hesitated in their charge, looking at one another leerily. They knew it was true, they could feel it. Kara attacked at just the right moment; cutting through their ranks as swiftly as an arrow. The carvers were about to break and run, but one of their champions topped a hill and shrieked at them to finish her. Swiftly, Kara jumped back from those around her, dropped her knife, drew her bow, and shot him with fire and ice, all within the space of five seconds, before they could regroup. He fell to the ground without finishing his command.

That was the last straw, and the carvers broke, fleeing in every direction.

Rashaban wasn't paying much attention to the battle; those damn Rogues were advancing too quickly. He could sense Akara coming through the passage. Finally. What had taken her so long?

Akara advanced through the passage, shoving all her emotions aside. She could not bear to think about what she was doing. Right, wrong, it didn't matter. It would all have to be sorted out later. As it was, she knew she just had to keep going, if not for her sake, then for Kayasha's. She was older than most, so she had a slow going through the cave. She emerged on the other side just in time to see Kara cut down the carver chief. As the demons broke and fled, she advanced towards Rashaban, mechanically. She would not let herself feel the admiration that she wanted to, towards those who had saved her Order. Akara sat down next to Rashaban without saying a word. He got up and ran towards the Dark Sisters, without a word. Kara called to her, "Do you need a guard?"

Akara shook her head. Forcing herself, she called after the two of them, "Do you want me to call some Rogues?"

Rashaban stopped for a moment, turned, then called back, "No. This is going to get ugly, and the Rogues are out of their league. The Dark Sisters are all marching to their deaths. There is no need for the Rogues to follow them."

With that, he was gone.


	27. FOR THE SISTERHOOD!

Rashaban rushed to the front of the lines. The Dark Sisters were falling back under Akara's protection, and the hordes were being beaten back. Still, the demons' advantage lay in sheer numbers, as they bore down upon the Sisters' ranks. Rashaban saw several lancers being dragged under by a tide of carvers. He was still too far away to do much, but Kara sent fire arrows shrieking towards the scene. Several of the carvers fell, but it was not enough. The Dark Archers dared not fire in. Rashaban ran to get closer, and a stone golem burst from the earth under them, throwing both the lancers and carvers off their feet. Out of nowhere, Kayasha's voice pierced through the chaos for the lancers to fall back. They ran as quickly as they could back towards the lines, and the second they were clear, the Dark Archers unleashed a hailstorm of arrows, Blood Raven and Kayasha at the forefront. Rashaban winced as his golem was torn apart by friendly fire, but at least the Dark Sisters had gotten away safely. The carvers lay scattered about, but a fire played over their bodies, and one by one, they began to get back up, pulling the arrows from their bodies. The Dark Archers readied another volley, while Rashaban and Kara looked for the shamans. "There!," Kara yelled, and pointed.

Rashaban looked and saw that they were out of bowshot, in the rear lines, using all their energy to keep the carver hordes alive. Kayasha's voice pierced the chaos once again, "Rashaban, Kara! Get those shamans!"

They grinned at each other. Just what they had been thinking. Rashaban pulled out his wand, while Kara drew out her remaining javelins. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Four more skeletons and a golem rose from the carnage, surrounding the both of them, they began to slowly advance towards the shamans. Anything that tried to reach them had to get past Rashaban's skeletons, and Kara would impale them from behind Rashaban's guard before they could do much damage. It was slow going, but they were never going to lose.

As they trudged through the masses of carvers and beastmen, leaving a trail where they went, they realized that this tactic was getting them there, but far too slowly. "We'll never make it at this rate," grumbled Kara, as she looked for openings to stick her javelin through.

Rashaban nodded. "This usually works better against groups of _less than_ a hundred. Ah, well. We can take these, at least."

They both sheathed their weapons, Rashaban's guard dropping back down to three. They both drew out their daggers, gripped their shields, and charged though the crowd toward the shamans.

Akara could vaguely sense the Dark Rogues' emotions through the spell. What she found was almost enough to soothe her anger towards them. At the very least, it took away any doubts she had about staying. She suddenly sensed a demonic presence nearby. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of beastmen creeping towards her. 'The second wave,' she thought. She took no action, save to finger a pendant around her neck. Four portals opened around her, and Rogues quickly began to pour through them. By the time they closed, forty Rogues had surrounded her. She gave the incident no further attention.

Rashaban and Kara finally broke through to the shamans, only to face a hail of fireballs. "Keep the rest distracted while I finish them," she yelled. She focused on their fireballs, and nothing else, walking around them with unnatural speed to stab each one with her dagger. Rashaban drew out his wand once more, spun a curse of weakness at the oncoming horde, and raised his skeletal guard to six once more. He readied his magical teeth, and leapt back into the fray.

Kayasha could see Rashaban and Kara making their way towards the shamans slowly, then break and run. They wouldn't be much longer. "Just keep firing! The shamans are done for." Ordinarily, this would have brought a ragged cheer and a boost in morale. Now, it was just a useful bit of information. Kayasha's words could not push them on any harder than her mere presence did. Her presence and their guilt.

As Kara saw the last shaman fall under her blade, she looked around. Rashaban was holding the line with his skeletons, keeping them tied up. She saw no more fire over the bodies of the dead carvers; the shamans had all foolishly gathered in one spot. Kara quickly surveyed the landscape, and was amazed at what she saw. The skeletons were nearly gone, the zombies were under Blood Raven's control, the birds had cleared from the sky, and the apes had broken and ran, along with the beastmen. And, with their shamans now dead, the carvers were beginning to rout. As they fell back from Rashaban's line, he rushed to pursue them, but they had mastered the art of splitting up to run, and they were soon gone.

Kara thought things had gone well, but Rashaban was fuming when he got back. "Did you see how many escaped?! There must be at least two hundred, just gone!"

The Dark Sisters had quickly regrouped, and had begun marching towards the Monastery once more.

"Don't worry about that just now; they won, and that's all that matters. I don't think they could have lost more than fifty in the whole fight. Now, just get that spell up and let them do the rest." Kara said.

Rashaban was in no mood to argue. He ran back to take control from Akara.

The Dark Sisters encountered no more resistance on their way to the Monastery. Rashaban and Akara leapfrogged the entire way, until they were at the gates. Rashaban asked Akara and her guard to say and keep the spell up. "This is going to get very nasty. Neither you Rogues or the Dark Sisters are very good at fighting in close quarters. They are going to get as far as they can, but…" he was cut off by Blood Raven, who had approached them.

"Akara. Allow me to be brief. I know of your feelings toward us. I could not agree with you more, save for the fact that we _do_ regret our actions. Allow us to prove it, by giving you the only thing we can, now."

Rashaban took control of the spell while Akara responded,

"I will also be brief. Listen, Blood Raven, you know that I'd like nothing more than to see your face in the dirt with a sword sticking out your back, but why don't you make a more tactical advance? If you go in now, all at once, you'll be killed."

"You and the Necromancer are strong. But not that strong. You can't keep up that spell forever. We have to act now, no matter what the result is."

"Then, why don't you…why don't you come back to the camp, and get over the sickness of releasing your demons? You can help us retake the monastery then." Akara sounded as if she was suggesting that they flay her alive. It was the most forced bit of speech Blood Raven had ever heard.

Blood Raven smiled, and bowed. "I didn't know you had it in your heart to even speak those words. I'm glad you do. But, you know the reason why. Neither you nor I could stand it, knowing the evil that we committed. And, none of the Dark Sisters deserves such kindness. Thank you, though, for letting us know that there is still a heart within you. The Rogues are in good hands."

With that, she walked off.

Akara's face was a mask, as Rashaban gave control back to her.

"Oh," Rashaban mentioned, before he left, "Once they start dying, the spell may start to act a little funny. Just keep it up."

Akara nodded, as he turned away. She ordered her Rogues to take up positions to guard against a rear attack. As they moved away, tears trickled down her face.

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Rashaban moved up to Kayasha, who was organizing the Sisters into groups. He took her aside. "Listen, the demons won't spread out through the Monastery. They know that if we take the Outer Cloister, and get a foothold, that's it. They will concentrate all their resistance there, where they have the room to attack in groups, but you don't have the mobility to fire."

Kayasha nodded. "I know."

"This will be a slaughter."

"I know."

"However, this is their gift to you. Many Rogues would have died taking this back, were it not for them."

"I know."

"I know you know, right now. But, when you are standing over a pile of dead bodies, mostly theirs, and you see their faces buried in the ground one last time, I don't want you to forget it. Because that's the only way this will end." He turned away.

As he did, a bolt of lightning shot from one of the arrow slits, impaling a Dark Sister. They turned as one, as the other Arrow slits burst with the lightning shots of the Misshapen.

Rashaban forgot himself and was about to give orders, but Kayasha took the words from his mouth, "To the gate! All of you! Rashaban, open the gate! Kara, take some Archers and attack those slits! Keep them pinned down. Everyone else, follow me!"

"FOR THE SISTERHOOD!!!", she bellowed at the top of her lungs, pouring out every bottled emotion she had towards her lost brethren into this one, final shout.

What happened next almost made it all worth while, in her eyes, at least.

Her cry was echoed, a hundred times over, by voices she had feared with all her heart that she would never hear again.


	28. Battle For The Monastery

At Kayasha's war cry and the ensuing echoed shout, Rashaban forgot all about taking command, and was simply one more of Kayasha's soldiers, such was her presence on the battlefield, such was her zeal. At her command, he raised a golem on the inside of the doorway. He could feel it being attacked, but it was too late; he had lifted the bar the moment it had risen. The Rogues rushed the gate, to see it burst open before them, and a golem fighting a losing battle against hordes of Afflicted. The Rogues met the hordes with a great crash, but not just a crash of noise and bodies. The Rogues embodied sorrow, cowardice, and the demons embodied hate, and rage. Such a clash of emotions sent out waves that they could all feel. Rashaban shook it off, and grabbed his dagger from its sheath, charging into battle.

Kara, overcome by Kayasha's commanding visage the same way, took careful aim and shot an arrow straight through a slit. The Archers around her did the same. Some of them missed, but most of them found their mark in a Misshapen's face. The return fire diminished with each volley, until it ceased altogether. A grim look crossed Kara's face as she charged in with the rest, her javelins in hand.

As soon as they passed the gate, all was chaos. The lancers broke the first and second ranks with their charge, but the tides soon changed. The upper balcony for the arrow slits was occupied by Misshapen and Bone Mages. A few of them had been shot through the slits by Kara and the Archers, but most had simply turned their attention inwards. The plan called for Rashaban and Kara to each take a side, Rashaban on the right; Kara on the left, and take the balconies, replacing them with Dark Archers. The Rogues would suffer heavy losses until then, but after they retook the balcony, then the tide would shift. Rashaban sprinted off towards the stairs, demons falling under his dagger as he went. They were pulling out all the stops to keep the balconies secure; Misshapen and rat men seethed to block the way. But, Rashaban had already seen every strike, every feint, every block they used. They didn't stand a chance, and each one took his poison dagger in the ribs. Rashaban was using his best poison, even a scratch was enough to kill them. He struggled to keep himself calm throughout the fight; this was no time to get whipped up into a mass-murdering frenzy. Their tactics needed to work perfectly.

He raised his hand, and a golem burst up on the stairs, knocking some of his adversaries to the ground, and adding a threat to the rear. His guard of skeletons and Dark Sisters was holding up rather well, and some Dark Archers were beginning to come through the door and return fire to the ones on the balcony, but it wasn't much, and Sisters were being cut down in droves. He rushed on, his guard tight around him, pausing to cast curses at the broiling mass of demons below. He fought calmly, never once distracted by their hatred. As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, the balcony was as good as secure. He simply had his golem walk in front of him and push the demons off. It didn't even need to wound them, just shove them aside; none of them was strong enough to challenge it. He sent his guard back to join in the fight, and marched on, throwing his adversaries to break on their comrades below. They tried to shoot at him, but his bone armor was far too strong. Darks Sisters began pouring up after them and taking up positions. He jumped down from the balcony, hurting his legs a bit, but it was quicker than wading back through the Sisters. He quickly began cutting back through the horde, keeping absolutely focused. He knew that he could defeat any number of them one on one. His biggest danger, he knew, was to lose control and leap into the fray without thought.

Kara raced towards the steps, her blade a blur, quickly leaving her guard behind. There was no way the archers on the top could hit her; she walked around each and every shot to stab them and expertly flip them to the ground below. She was soon through with them, easily jumping to the ground ahead of the Dark Archers, not breaking a sweat. That had been the easy part. She rushed ahead to help combat the demons.

Kayasha and Blood Raven were quickly separated in the chaos. After seeing Rashaban and Kara take out the balconies, they jumped headlong into the fray. Blood Raven fought on, trying to keep the thoughts of her betrayal from her mind. She focused on nothing. Nothing except the combat. It occurred to her that she was ironically slaying her former comrades once again, and when she pushed that thought from her mind, another one took its place; Kayasha might be in trouble. She knew that her death was to be expected here, but Kayasha's would not do. And, she knew Kayasha was far from being in a rational state of mind. She broke from combat, and ran across the back lines to look for her. Most of the Lancers and Rangers had fallen, but those who had not were keeping the demons tied up, along with Blood Raven's stolen zombies, while the Archers cut them down. She saw the necromancer behind the lines, drinking some potions. "You, Necromancer!," she called.

His head jerked towards her.

"Where is Kayasha?"

He shook his head, waved his hand in the general direction of the battle, and shouted back above the clamor, "Why?"

Blood Raven quickly walked up to him, and Rashaban had an odd flashback to his first fight with her. "She needs to be removed before she gets herself killed. I'm going to the balcony to spot her. When I do, I'll shoot a fire arrow in her direction. Follow that, and get her out of here."

"How do you know she isn't dead already?"

Blood Raven's look was all the answer he needed.

"If you find Kara, tell her to come help!", he called back.

Blood Raven nodded, and then sprinted off towards the stairs.

Rashaban knew Blood Raven was right. Kayasha was going to get herself killed. He drank mana potions and focused on recovering his energy, keeping his eye on her. He had meant to go and aid where the lines were starting to sag, but he knew Kayasha's life was more important. He kept focused on Blood Raven, and almost as soon as she reached the top, a fire arrow streaked towards a corner of the courtyard. He sprinted of towards it.

Rashaban quickly broke through the lines of the Sisters, and hacked his way over to an isolated pocket of fighting. He saw Kayasha and a group of Dark Rangers fighting a losing battle against several Afflicted Champions. Kayasha had dropped her bow, and pulled out her short sword. He saw that she was limping, blood pouring from her wounded leg. He rushed over, grabbed a Ranger in the rear lines by the shoulder, and looked her in the eye, jerking his head over to Kayasha. She needed no further explanation. The Ranger let him pass, as did all of her brethren. In the midst of her fight, Kayasha saw him coming out of the corner of her eye. She jumped back from combat, the Rangers quickly filling the gap. She staggered on her wounded leg, grabbing his shoulder.

"Rashaban, good timing. Drop that dagger, and pick up a wand; we need some of your skelet-" She never saw it coming from an ally. His dagger slipped a half inch into her leg, darting back out again. "Why-" was all she had time for before his magical drug sent her mind into blackness. He caught her before she reached the ground, and began dragging her back to the lines. "Keep them tied up! I can handle her myself." The Dark Sisters nodded, their attention quickly back on the combat, which, without Kayasha, they were now losing badly. Rashban hurled a curse at the Misshapen, and kept movign as fast as he practical. A few stray rat men ran towards Rashaban on the way, but his unliving guards made short work of them.

Before he knew it, he was back to the battle lines. He dragged her all the way out of the Monastery, back to Akara. Apparently, some of the demons that had routed in the last battle had tried for a rear attack, but Akara's Rogues had dealt with them. He rushed back to the fray, and found Blood Raven waiting. "She's safe."

"I gathered. Well done, Necromancer."

They both surveyed the scene. The Outer Cloister was taken. The Dark Sisters had taken heavy losses, but both sections of the Cloister were now behind their lines, and they were moving towards the Barracks. Blood Raven disappeared after them in a flash. Kara was nowhere to be seen. The only things left were the bodies of the slain. Rashaban drank a mana potion, and walked nonchalantly after them. This was going better than he had thought. Now, the only real threat was the Smith. If the Sisters found him, he would be a problem. But, he or Kara could take him on easily.

By the time he reached the barracks door, the Outer Cloister had been completely cleared. Not a single demon stirred. Nor a single Lancer. They had perhaps fifty or sixty rangers, no more. The Archers were still there for the most part, but they would not last once the Rangers were killed. They all grouped around the single door, bows nocked. There was only one normal sized door for a reason; it was easy to defend.

They heard the voice of the Smith growl from behind the door. "You will not find us to be such easy prey."

Rashaban laughed haughtily. "No, I imagine you will be easier." He walked towards the door, his Bone Armor up, his minions in tow, completely unconcerned. Trap or no, this was nothing he couldn't handle.

"Wait." said Blood Raven.


	29. A Last Grasp At Life And Courage

Rashaban turned to her, stopping in his tracks. "Yes?"

"This is my job. As the last reaming lieutenants of Andariel, I must challenge him."

Rashaban shrugged. "I was looking forward to killing him. Ah, well. Be my guest." He stepped back into the crowd. He pulled out a mana potion and sipped it like a drink, magical fire playing over his hands. He did not like being held back. But, she did have a point. It was rather symbolic.

Blood Raven stepped towards the door, and called out in a clear voice, "Smith! As the last remaining lieutenant of Andariel, I challenge you to single combat!"

The door burst open, and rat men and carvers seethed through, followed by bone mages and archers, lastly by the Smith. If it was possible, he looked even more demented and menacing than before. 'Perhaps this time he's in good light', Rashaban thought.

"You! Traitors to the last. I didn't think you had the guts to change sides again." His hordes hung back, ready to attack on his command.

"Me either. But, here we are."

"I can't believe this. We were comrades. We fought side by side. We ate at the same table. We shared the same friends. Shared the same command." It took Rashaban a moment to catch on, but he suddenly noticed that the Smith's voice had changed. It had slowly taken on Kayasha's tone.

The Smith gave an evil leer. "Do you deny it."

Blood Raven shook her head, as if she was actually having a conversation. "I do not. What I do here today is what I should have in the first place." She continued, "We traitors have no place here on this earth, caught between our former comrades on both sides. It is only because of this necromancer that we have chosen the side of good. Otherwise, we would have kept fighting with you."

Rashaban shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I try," he muttered.

"And that," she continued, as she nocked her arrow and aimed at the Smith, "is why we will die here today. No more backstabbing, no more guilt, no more fighting. The betrayal is at an end, Smith. We are too weak for courage, the dice just happened to land us here. Do you understand?"

The Smith gave a laugh that made Rashaban either want to shut his ears to rush him, either one. "Oh, I understand, all right. I also understand that when you fall under my hammer, your soul will find its way to Andariel, and she will have her fun with you traitors."

The Smith hefted his hammer, they shared a glance, and the duel began.

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Blood Raven let her arrow fly, but the Smith was more powerful than she had suspected. He saw where she was aiming, and swiftly moved his arm to block the shot. 'Just like Andariel.', Rashaban noted coolly. She shot again, and he blocked it again, lumbering towards her, the Sisters and the Demons forming a ring that neither could escape. Then, she suddenly pulled a trick. She aimed for his leg, and made to release her arrow. Then, when he moved to block it, she switched targets as quickly as she could and let fly. The Smith never saw it coming, and his roar was cut off by an arrow through his mouth. He staggered back, grabbing at his throat, trying to wrench it out. Blood Raven took the opportunity to shoot fire arrows into his thick hide. The Smith broke the arrow and clambered towards her, murder in his eyes. She kept backing away and shooting, dodging away before he got too close. She had used many arrows in the battle however, and soon she was out.

The Smith stopped for a moment, arrows protruding from his hide. "Well, I guess you ran out of tricks, traitor.", the Smith growled, his voice broken by the arrow in his throat.

"You would not permit an archer more arrows?"

"Single combat." the Smith snarled back. "That means no help from the sidelines. You should have gotten some more when you had the chance."

"Come on, be a sport!" Rashaban mocked from the sidelines. "Or are you too scared to give them to her?"

With a growl, the Smith waved his hand, and a Dark Sister came forwards with more.

"Are we done?"

In answer, Blood Raven raised her bow to shoot, but never expected what was to come.

The Smith jumped at her, far faster than she had thought him capable of moving. But, she knew he would still fall short. She didn't even back away, because she knew his distance was off, and that was her fatal mistake. At his mental command, two Shamans burst through the ranks and shot fireballs straight for the Smith's back. They both hit dead on. The Smith grimaced, but the blast knocked him forwards another few crucial feet. His fist connected dead on to Blood Raven's face. She was thrown back, crashing to the floor, her bow flung across the room. The Smith had been knocked down as well, and they both got to their feet, facing each other. Blood Raven was limping. With a wordless roar the Smith charged her again. She drew out an axe and stood her ground; there was nowhere for her to run to, the Smith was too close. He swung a fist at her, and she instinctively went to block it, then realized, in mid-swing, that it had been a feint. The Smith's fist was split by the axe, but his hammer swung up from the floor and caught her dead-on in the stomach with awful force. She was lifted off the ground, only to fall again at the Smith's feet. The Smith stepped back for a moment, and Blood Raven, coughing up blood, turned to her allies. "Tell Kayasha-" She was cut off as the Smith's hammer fell again, ending her.

"Fiend!" Rashaban snarled, "You would deny the dying their final words!?"

The Smith raised his hammer from the corpse, and turned to look at him. "Never. Her final breath was, word for word, 'Yes, Master Andariel. I renounce them all.'"

He turned his gaze to all the Dark Sisters surrounding him. "That goes for all of you, as well."

Rashaban eyed him warily. "When did you become so well-spoken, Smith? You look as if you have the brains of that hammer there, but your words say otherwise."

The Smith didn't even flinch. "Because they were my last words as well."

One of the Dark Sisters spoke up, "If you must know, he is Charsi's father. He turned with us."

Rashaban was stunned. "What? Are you serious?"

The Smith nodded. "And now, I have suppressed my demons for too long. Leave this place, Necromancer, and take Kayasha and Akara with you. All of us here have some unfinished business; it is time for me to deal with these traitors."

Something didn't make sense to Rashaban. He was about to attack the Smith anyway, but there was something he had to know. "You aren't turning with them." Rashaban noted with a confused look. "My spell doesn't even affect you; you suppressed your own demon to talk, and now you won't turn."

The Smith nodded. "Quite an observation."

"That doesn't make any sense."

The Smith leered again, this time at the assembled Sisters. "You want to enlighten him? Or should I?"

One of them spoke up. Her voice was odd, it was full of regret, but it sounded worn, as if she had said the words far too many times to herself. "We turned because we are cowards. When Andariel took the Monastery, it was a surprise attack, we were sure that the Order was done for, and that we would all die. Kayasha ran for the Rouge Camp outpost, swearing revenge, and some followed her. Blood Raven froze in terror before Andariel and begged for her life, and we followed her."

The Sisters hung their heads as one.

"We couldn't face our own death, so we ran. Kayasha and the rest ran too, but they ran to regroup and fight another day. We ran to the enemy's arms, hoping we could save ourselves."

"That's why you turned back with us." Rashaban breathed, suddenly comprehending. "I understand now. You never really gave up on your life, you just cowered in fear, in the face of an unstoppable enemy." He vividly remembered Andariel and knew firsthand the terror she could inspire. "Poor conduct for warriors, but understandable nonetheless."

He turned back to the Smith, with an unreadable expression, suddenly understanding something else. "But, you, you turned of your own will. That's why you won't come back."

The Smith gave an evil leer, but no response.

"You…you did give up. You didn't cower and beg for your life, you knelt and offered yourself." he spat the final words.

Again, the Smith gave no response.

"That's why you can suppress your own demon." Rashaban thought aloud. "Andariel needed to possess the Dark Sisters, but she just had to give you the power."

He stood stunned for a moment at this new development, unable to speak for a moment.

Then, something clicked in his head. He turned around, completely unconcerned about any backstabbing by the weakling Smith.

Rashaban turned back towards the broken Dark Sisters, a fire in his voice. "You! All of you! You were cowards, and you deserve this fate. But, you proved yourselves in this battle. You have all redeemed yourselves in Kayasha's sight, you have all regained some shred of honor by joining us, of your own will, on this day."

As their heads began to lift, he carried on, "Let it be said that you were cowards. Let it be said that you stumbled and fell before Andariel's charge, even turning against your own to save yourselves. That was a despicable act. But,"

here he paused,

"Let it never be said that you gave yourselves away. Your bodies fought for the demons, but let it never be said that you gave your hearts to this black cause." 

He lowered his voice slightly, and turned his head a bit, a half-turn to the Smith, but still speaking to the crowd. "Know this as you die today. There is a world of difference between you, and this Smith."

Here turned completely around, this time facing his enemy. "On death's door, these Rogues were offered a second chance. They took it, and they have redeemed themselves, by this one act, of years of treachery. Why? Because, somewhere inside, they had not lost their humanity. Neither have you, Smith. You may have given it away to Andariel, but we have banished her, and her hold over you can be banished as well."

He reached out his hand slightly, beseechingly. "It isn't too late."

The Smith laughed in his face. "I'll pass."

"Why?" Rashaban plead. "I don't want to see anyone die like this, I don't care who they are or what they've done. It can't be loyalty."

The Smith laughed. "No, I care nothing for Andariel or her ilk."

"Then why?"

The Smith flashed a maniacal smile. "Because I hate this world for taking everything I had from me. I can't blame the demons, they're nothing but a force of nature. I hate this wrenched existence. For that, I'll die here, and welcome it."

Rashaban was silent for a moment. "You said you lost everything. I'm offering it back. You have a daughter to go home to, a new life to build."

"Save it."

"Could you say that to Charsi's face?"

The Smith's voice said, "I don't care anymore." But, his tone said, "She doesn't need me."

Rashaban turned away, slowly pushing through the ranks of the Dark Sisters, speaking only to them. "Know that your sacrifice today shall not be in vain, and the flag of the Sisterhood will yet fly from these walls. Do what you must, and know that the legends shall remember your heroic return from treachery, your last grasp at life and courage."

He looked back once more. "You were wrong. You are not too weak for courage. Your actions today make you far, far stronger than you think."

With that, he pushed through the last ranks. "Let's go, Kara." he called. "They need to do this alone."

She popped up from a balcony, giving up a perfect sniping post, and joined him in heading towards the door.

Rashaban and Kara left, closing the double doors behind them. Kara went to comfort Kayasha, who had awoken, and Rashaban went to relieve Akara. They all stayed until the spell was no longer needed, for there were no more Sisters to help.

"Blood Raven's last words were denied by the Smith." Rashaban told Kayasha, as they turned to leave. "He claimed her last words were when she turned, but I know for a fact that's false."

Tears streaming from her face, Kayasha breathed, in a choking voice through the tears, "How?"

Rashaban looked in her bright green eyes, now dulled with tears. "Because I look in your eyes, now, and I see a light. When I looked in hers, when she ordered me to save you, I saw it there too. It's a light that wasn't there when she almost killed me the first time I ran into her. She came back for you, Kayasha, one last time. Don't forget that."

Those were the last words he could manage before she broke into tears once again.


	30. Reclaiming The Monastery

It was dark by the time they left. Leaving the Rogues to make sure nothing escaped, they all returned to camp by waystone, accompanying Kayasha to her tent. They all knew she was in no position to take command. Rashaban and Kara were going to retire as well, but Akara stopped them. "Please, come with me."

She led them out of the camp, towards a secluded grove. The night was surprisingly calm, in contrast with the chaos of the day. "Nice night," commented Rashaban.

Akara looked at them with a hard gaze. "We never knew what to tell Charsi, so we simply told her that he had died."

Rashaban was startled. "What? I thought you were too busy hating Blood Raven to worry about something like this."

"My…"she stuttered a bit, which was odd, coming from her, "personal feelings will have to be sorted out later. Right now, we need to decide what to do about Charsi."

"Can we even tell her?" asked Kara, "She's what, twenty two? That's an awful shock coming so late in life."

"It's an awful shock any time in life. It doesn't matter when.", Rashaban replied.

She thought for a moment, then asked, "Akara, you know Charsi better than either of us. As a rule, would she rather know the truth, or stay in blissful ignorance?"

"Charsi is a strong willed girl. While she does not seek the truth like a monk, she hates lies with a passion."

Kara nodded. "Then we have to tell her. Who's gonna do it?"

After a pause, Kara added sarcastically, "We should have hog-tied the Smith and taken him back, to have him tell her."

Rashaban chuckled, "That wouldn't have done any good. He's probably dead now, in any case." He thought for a moment. "Well, if he really is dead now, we needn't tell her immediately. But, there must be some way to have her find out herself, rather than have someone tell her."

They all thought for a moment. Kara thought back to her stash from Andariel…

"Did he ever engrave his tools?", she asked.

"Any self-respecting blacksmith does", they both answered.

"Perfect. All we have to do is raid his smithy, and bring back some tools for Charsi. She'll find out on her own."

Rashaban looked surprised, "Good thinking. I didn't think you were capable of it.", he said with a laugh.

They all snickered at that, then headed back to camp. Rashaban added, "Just, please wait until we're done to give them to her. I wager she'll be as bad as Kayasha when she finds out."

Akara nodded. With that done, they all went to get a good night's sleep, to ready themselves for the task ahead.

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/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

In the morning, Kayasha was still mourning the loss of her comrades; nobody expected her to do much of anything. Rashaban ordered Rogues sent out to the surrounding peasant villages, asking for paid workers, and to help spread the word that Andariel was finished. He dispatched large parties of Rogues to hunt down the remnants of the first force. He, Kara, and Akara rested for a day to recover from the battle, then took a large force of Rogues to the Monastery gates.

When they arrived, with perhaps seventy Rogues in tow, they reviewed their plan after sending the forty who had been guarding the gate back to camp.

As the formed up around the gate, they addressed the raiding force. "We should be able to take care of anything that's left alive. The problem is making sure nothing gets past us or behind us", Kara said.

She pulled out an old, smudged map of the Monastery, and they all gathered around. "We could just go straight through to the catacombs, but that isn't the point. If we did, they could slip past us and either escape or attack from behind."

Rashaban took over, "This isn't a raid, it's a thorough search. We will take the Outer Cloister, and secure the Waystone. That will be our base. We will search every side room, so we have no surprises later on. Akara will stay there with a small guard to hold the position in case of resistance, and to heal. We will search each room of the Barracks, and leave three Rogues in each. That might thin out our numbers quickly, but the demons are crafty, and if we arm each room, we won't have any escapees. Once the barracks are secured, we will move down to the jail."

He motioned one of the Rogues to bring forth a large sack she was holding. "We will have plenty of torches and light items. We will secure the jail as we secured the barracks, but we will leave five Rogues in each room, rather than three. We should be able to secure the first level with the numbers we have now."

The Rogues had all heard parts of this plan before, but a question had been on their minds. One of the Rogues spoke up. "Then what?"

"We hold our positions, rotating out as necessary. Then, you will wait. As soon as we have hunted down most of the remains of Andariel's army, we will begin to set up a permanent base in the Outer Cloister. By that time, the peasants should have arrived. As they begin the rebuilding, more Rogues will come back out from patrol, and we will have the numbers to retake the second level. Once we have the Inner Cloister, we will abandon our positions in the jail, and have the peasants move in to begin repairs, while we move on the Catacombs in the same way."

"Why don't we move on to another floor as soon as we clear the one before?", another Rogue asked.

Rashaban smirked. "A good question. And a good tactic when fighting humans. But demons are different. They can meld into the shadows, and hide. But, they can only hide for so long, before their bloodlust drives them out. That's why we will wait for the peasants, and that's why we post so many in a room; we want to deal with them when they appear. And, we want no surprises afterwards. This will take much longer than it would if we used conventional tactics and stormed in, but I don't want to lose _anyone_. Is this clear?"

They all nodded in assent.

"If your position is compromised, _do not_ stay and fight. Run to your reinforcements. Fall back until you have enough to fight, or all the way back the Cloister. Kara and I can take care of anything, you don't have to risk your lives."

"Yeah, we don't need any heroes around here.", Kara added with a smirk.

They all laughed a bit at that, then turned towards the gate.

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/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

The plan worked perfectly. Rashaban had designed most of it, but it would not have worked as seamlessly as it did with out the three of them together. The Dark Sisters had sold themselves dearly, and they found next to no resistance until the jail. This part of the plan progressed with the speed of molasses, but not a single Rogue was lost.

Around the third day, the first peasants arrived. Rashaban had requested anyone willing to work. They were not fighters, but they were just as necessary. There were a very few skilled stonemasons, and they were invaluable. They were also able to recruit some clerics, who helped Akara and Rashaban rid the place of Andariel's evil influence. The rest did whatever they could; scrubbed blood from the walls, gathered the remains of furniture and barrels, and set fires for the corpses. Room by room, the Monastery was taken back. They encountered some resistance in the lower levels of the Catacombs, but most of the champions had holed up in Andariel's throne room. Rashaban and Kara had to raid the place three times, but once they did, the battle for the Monastery was finally over.

It had taken them three weeks to rid the place of every demon. The peasants were making good progress on the repairs, and Akara had cleansed the other sites, especially the Forgotten Tower, of Andariel's lingering influence as well. Kayasha had recovered, and had taken over coordinating the recovery.

One small issue did arise, however. Once the demons were gone, the peasants began to approach Kayasha about their payment. They had been promised it, after all. She was at a loss. She asked Rashaban about it. "What shall I do? We can use the treasure we got from the demons to.."

"No, that's all yours, you'll need it to keep the monastery going." He thought for a moment. "Tell them to go to Gheed. He'll pay them."

"What? That old pig! He wouldn't part with a silver coin to save a dying man!"

"I think we can work something out."

A few days later, Gheed stormed into Rashaban's tent. "What's the big idea?!" Gheed yelled at him. "I have peasants hounding me about payment. Kayasha said you were behind this. Since when was I paying these worthless…."

Rashaban cut him off. "I know you wouldn't pay _them_, they're not doing any work for you. You are, in essence, paying the Rogues."

Gheed stopped short. "Wha'?"

"Well, you know the Rogues are in a tight spot right now. Sure, they have lots of treasure, but they need those funds to get the Order back on its feet; a shrewd businessman such as yourself can surely see that."

"Well, yes, but…"Gheed quickly went over in his mind what it would cost to keep the Order going, and found that they would indeed need the money. "But four month's wages? For fifty workers?!"

"Well, you have it, don't you?"

"Of course, but, I don't see how I'm obliged to give the Rogues-"

"Oh, I think you misunderstand. You're not giving them anything."

At Gheed's confused look, a sly smile crossed Rashaban's face.

"It's a loan. With interest."

Now it was Gheed's turn to smile.

Rashaban continued, "See? Everyone's happy. I already talked with Kayasha about it. Everything has been taken care of."

Gheed's eyes were alight with the thoughts of how much he could make.

"So, I take it there's no problem paying the peasants?"

"No, no, of course not."

"Now we both trust the Rogues, but I know you like contracts, so I drew one up. Just sign and the Rogues will be officially bound to pay you. Not that they aren't honor-bound already, of course, but just to be sure…a mere formality really, yes, that's Kayasha's signature on the bottom, yes"…he made a hidden signal, and a Rogue called Gheed's name to come deal with some peasants.

Gheed left the tent, gladly paying off the peasants, thinking he would make double this amount.

Rashaban had kept talking from the moment he had pulled out the contract; Gheed had never read it. He looked it over once more. The Rogues were now officially bound, on paper, to pay Gheed five percent interest on his wages. Over a period of ten years. In whatever increments they saw fit. Not that they weren't honor bound already. A mere formality, really.

After two months of helping with the reconstruction, Rashaban and Kara decided they needed to move on. The Rogues had things well under control, and Andariel was only the first of many. They said their goodbyes, and wished the Rogues well. The Rogues held a grand feast to commemorate their heroes, and the whole affair was a long one; the Rogues hated to see them go. Everyone was saddened at the departure, they had grown to know each other well. After a long goodbye, it was the last night, and everyone reflected on the horrible months that had come before, and the great ones that were still to come. The next day they set off on Warriv's caravan, towards Lut Gohlein...

**A/N Ok, that's the first act! The next ones are way shorter, though. Lut Gohlein has some cool stuff, and Kurast has a dramatic ending. (at least, I thought it was dramatic lol) Anyway, tell me what you think! **


	31. A New City

The caravan ride was long and uneventful. Rashaban and Kara kept up with practice, Rashaban constantly going over his spell books, while Kara would take shots at animals from the moving caravan, always working on her aim. Cain and Warriv simply sat on the riding board, sometimes talking, but mostly simply enjoying the ride. When they finally arrived after two weeks of travel under the blistering desert sun, they beheld a city such as the tales had always spoken of. From the way the buildings looked, to the way the people spoke, the look and feel of the city was exactly as they had expected from the stories of the desert. As they jumped off the caravan, they weren't sure if they wanted to go and explore the city, or simply marvel at it. They were spared the decision.

"Here comes Jehryn," Warriv broke the moment. "He's the Lord of Lut Gohlein."

As Jehryn approached them, he made the city seem all the more surreal; with his desert clothes, and simply the way he moved and spoke, it made the both of them sure that the stories had not been concocted, they were based on places and men such as this.

"Greetings, honored travelers." Jehryn bowed to them. Rashaban was surprised, he thought that they were supposed to be bowing to him. Not quite knowing what to say, Kara cut him off; "The honor is ours in meeting you, sir."

They soon launched into a conversation that Rashaban grew tired of following. He wandered over to Warriv, who was looking relieved. "Now that I'm finally here, I can load up and go back to help the Rouges. I should be making several trips, and you're welcome to come along any time you wish. I'll be making the next trip back after I finish a few trades."

Rashaban nodded, "Bring us back some news, will you? I don't think we'll be going back any time soon, but we would definitely like some news."

Warriv nodded. "Well, this is the next stop for you. I don't know what the situation is, so you might want to ask around at the tavern, just for rumors. Then there's also a sage who lives here…I can't recall his name, but he should know more than anyone else around here about Diablo. The smith around here is named Fara…"

"Another female smith?" asked Rashaban, a bit perplexed.

"Yes, only she is a former paladin. Just follow Cain, see, he's going over that way, if you want to find her. And this", said Warriv, turning away towards an approaching figure with an odd tone in his voice, "is our local innkeeper, Elzix."

A very abused-looking man was shambling towards them on a peg leg. At Rashaban's look, Warriv nodded. "The same one from the tales. You remember. After our little band broke up, he stole a fortune from me on my caravan, but that was long ago, and now-" he was cut off as Elzix called over to him.

'Interesting', thought Rashaban. 'That the group split up to such distant lands.'

Now, he was left to his own devices. Kara was still talking to Jehryn, Warriv was talking to Elzix, and Deckard Cain was gone. He decided that this blistering heat required a cool drink. Besides, he had never been comfortable in cities, too many eyes that did not trust him, and he decided that Warriv's advice about a tavern would be as good a place to go as any. He asked a few passers by, and soon he was sitting down, sipping some sort of fruit juice; alcohol would have been a big mistake in this heat.

He had no idea where to start, or what they were looking for here. All he knew was that Solmo had passed this way, had arrived too late to stop Diablo, and had set sail with Meshif, the ship captain, to the jungles of Kurast after defeating Duriel. No idea what he had done, what he had explored, what artifacts he had recovered, nothing. Especially no idea of what kinds of demons had come back now that he was gone. He decided he would let Kara gather the information; she seemed to be getting along with Jehryn well enough. The innkeeper came and introduced herself as Atma. "Are you one of the heroes who has slain Andariel?", she asked, a tone of hope clearly in her voice.

"Word travels quickly here, I see," Rashaban said in a neutral tone. 'This is why I don't like cities.' he thought to himself, 'how does she know, I've only been here a half an hour, and there must be at least two thousand people living here.'

"Then, please, I beg of you, you must help me."

'Well, at least we have something to do now', Rashaban thought to himself, all thoughts of the city gone from his mind. "Any way I can.", he replied.

"There is a monster down in the depths of the sewer. A year ago, it…it killed my husband and son." she said it in an emotionless tone, the break in her voice notwithstanding. "Solmo slew it when he passed through here, and I thought I could bury the memories." Here she stopped, and her voice lost its emotionless tone. "I don't mean to burden you with this, but..."

He cut her off, "No, this is what we do. My companion and I will set this right. I take it the demon has returned?"

"Yes. When the demons started coming back, it was right around the time that my husband's brother returned from his travels. I married him three months ago. We were happy here, trying to forget the past, and Greiz and his troops make that possible. But, last week, the city was attacked from the outside, and all the patrols left to defend the walls. The creature slipped up from the sewer; it was a night raid, and nobody knew. He ignored everyone else. He slipped up here to my room…and…"

"How did you survive?"

"I woke up when he entered the room. He looked me straight in the eyes. He didn't want to kill me. I could _feel_ it. He wanted to make me suffer, just as he had years ago. My husband was still asleep."

"So, he is dead now, as well?"

Atma shook her head. "I screamed, and Geglash," she pointed towards an extremely well built drunk in the corner, "was here late drinking, and came in a flash. The creature attacked my husband, but Geglash got there in time. He couldn't kill it, but he kept it tied up until Greiz's men arrived. They drove it back to the sewers."

Rashaban nodded. "I see. How is your husband?"

"He survived, but he is still bedridden. He will heal, but, I also have a child…"

Rashaban noticed.

"I cannot bring my child into the world while that thing still lurks. Will you help me?"

Rashaban nodded. "What about Greiz? He's the commander of the guards, I take it?"

She nodded. "Jehryn has his own guards, but Greiz is the mercenary captain. He won't risk the men."

Rashaban nodded again. "We will certainly help. Don't worry about it; we killed Andariel, I doubt this beast you speak of is anywhere near as powerful." He was not bragging, just making an assessment. "My companion is out in the city somewhere, but…"

"I will go and find him. What does he look like?"

"Her actually. An Amazon."

At her look, he rolled his eyes. "We're just comrades, that all." Atma looked skeptical, but not in the mood to argue the point. She got up and left the tavern. Rashaban stayed where he was. He was no good at gathering information, he would just wait and see what Kara had been up to. Besides, they had a mission now. He got another drink and waited.

After an hour or two, Atma came back, with Kara in tow. She did not look well. "What happened to you?", he asked.

"This _heat_ is killing me." Kara sat down heavily and took a cool drink from Atma. She shook her head. "Anyway, I did manage to scrounge up some information while you were sitting around here."

She had indeed scrounged up quite a bit. Apparently, when Solmo passed through, he had to uncover the Horadric Cube, then the pieces to the Horadric Staff, then find the Lost Tomb. The staff was the only thing that could unlock the tomb, and the Cube was the only thing that could reunite the staff. Apparently, he had taken the Horadric Cube with him to the jungle, and Meshif knew that they were holding it there. The staff, however, was lost. The demons wouldn't break it apart again, but the various gangs in the desert were constantly vying for its power. Also, when Solmo had first come, a portal had been opened in the basements of the palace that spewed forth demons. Jehryn had tried to keep it quiet at first, and use the city guard to keep them down, but when Solmo proved himself, Jehryn sent him in to close it. Drognan the sage had some more information, but apparently it was open again.

Rashaban looked optimistic. "I'm impressed. You're good at this. So, all we have to do is find the staff, find the tomb, kill Duriel, and close this portal on the way."

Kara nodded. "The hard part will be finding the staff and the tomb. The desert is huge, a lot bigger than the forest, and full of caves. There are demon gangs scattered throughout it. They should be much stronger than the ones we faced before. And, we don't even know what we're up against with Duriel."

Rashaban shrugged. "At least we'll have a challenge."

Kara sat back in her chair, and glared at him.

"So, what did _you_ do sitting around this bar all day?"

"Well, I didn't really mean to, but I got a mission already."

"Huh? How?"

Rashaban explained Atma's situation.

"I say we get a good night's sleep here at the inn, then head down into the sewers tomorrow. I'm sure Atma won't mind putting us up for the night here."

"Why not right now?"

"Because we've just been on that wagon for that past two weeks, and I want a good night's sleep for once. Besides, we need to get used to this place a bit first."

"Oh, cmon, are you saying you can't handle something like this because you're sore from a wagon ride?"

"No, I'm saying…damn, I guess that is what I'm saying. Fine, we'll go. I could use some action anyway."

However, when they tried to leave, Atma insisted that they stay the night. Though Kara tried, Rashaban did not argue the point, and walked off to his room.


	32. Radament

The next morning, they did indeed feel quite a bit better. When they awoke, they headed straight for the town square to find Fara. Drognan and Deckard Cain were already there waiting for them. As they approached, Cain said; "I think we have some useful information about this beast. His name is Radament, and he is an ancient Horadric mummy. The Horadrim gave him powers to guard his tomb, but it is nowhere near this place. We think that Diablo must be possessing him, for a true Horadrim would never do this."

They both nodded. "Can he be turned?", Rashaban asked.

Cain smiled a little. "You can't do what you did to the Dark Sisters to every corrupted demon you met. Try it, if you want. We don't know if he's still in there somewhere."

He nodded, and they went off to Fara. She introduced Kara to a new kind of javelin, a pilum, that was much more impressive than what she was used to. After they had stocked up on bolts, arrows, and potions from Lysander, they headed over to the trap door. Greiz, who always stood watch over it himself, gave them a cynical look as they went down, but said nothing.

As they crept along the darkness, the moldering sewers began to look almost like the lower levels of the Monastery or the Forgotten Tower. At first they saw nothing, but soon ran into a pack of skeletons. They were much tougher than the ones they had fought before, and the caravan ride had made them rusty, despite their practice. Kara could barely dodge the flaming arrows of the archers, and they tended to swarm Rashaban's minions if he didn't use his wand to even the odds. They stumbled across the waystone and the other entrance to the sewers that Meshif had spoken of, as well. They found some weapons and armor, but were unable to use them; they would need to get a bit stronger first.

Soon they found a horrifying new enemy; sand raiders. They looked like stick men, they were so thin, and carried six scimitars in six twiglike arms. At first it was fearsome to even approach them, and Kara had to shoot them all. It took a few tries, but they soon learned that they could only strike with two arms at a time. They were not so fearsome after that, and their thin bodies broke easily.

After trudging down to the third level, they both began to feel an evil presence that was different from that of Andariel, but there was no mistaking it. They met his minions long before they met him, but they were already beginning it to see the pattern to these new foes. At first, the demons had used tactics they had never seen before, but now they were running out of surprises. Eventually, when they got close enough, Radament began to revive his minions, almost overwhelming Kara at one point. But, Rashaban soon put a stop to that by raising the corpses himself before Radament could get to them. He soon turned it into a sort of game, trying to see who could raise the skeletons first. Kara saw what he was doing, retreated, and yelled for him to follow.

"What?" Rashaban asked when they were safely hidden several rooms away. "We were almost there. I could feel it. Why did you break off?"

Kara did not look so pleased. "You've obviously been having fun. What do you think this is? A game?"

"What's wrong with my tactics?"

"Nothing, except how you're using them. This isn't a contest to see who can cast spells the fastest."

"Obviously not. I can cast them faster."

"Will you shut up and listen? This isn't a joke. We need to take this seriously."

"Why? He's nowhere near as powerful as Andariel; he's probably about twice as powerful as the Smith. Maybe three times. We can take him out easily. I see no reason to take this seriously."

"Atma's family _died_ because of this thing."

"Just because a demon knows how to slink around in the shadows and murder unarmed civilians doesn't mean it's a real threat. We've already figured out how his minions fight. Let's just get this over with."

"Well, what do you plan to do? Just kill him?"

"No. We'll go back in. You'll keep his minions busy while I sedate him, just like I did to the Dark Sisters. If it doesn't work, we'll kill him. If it does, then we won't have to."

Kara looked at him uncertainly.

"Why do _I_ always have to keep them busy?", she sighed.

"Because you don't know how to cast spells.", Rashaban smirked back. "Now, are we going to do this or not?"

Kara nodded, and they both headed back in. They both hacked through his minions, until they turned a corner and saw Radament himself. He was no normal mummy. A giant eagle's skull sat where his head should have been, and one of his arms was replaced by a giant claw. An unnatural light burned in his eyes, and his skin was not wrapped, but stretched gauntly over his limbs.

"Keep them busy!", yelled Rashaban as he jumped back. He sat on the ground behind her, and concentrated on the horror before him. The demonic presence was much stronger than that of the Dark Sisters, but he had been working on some new techniques on the caravan, and he was able to suppress it quickly. The horrible fire went out of Radament's eyes, and his minions crumbled to the ground.

He spoke with a disembodied voice. "Why am I here? This is not my tomb! Who are you?"

Rashaban spoke up, "You have been possessed by Diablo. He has brought you here, and you have been terrorizing this town for years. You have been banished once before. Do you remember nothing?"

Radament stopped, thought for a moment, then replied, "The last thing I remember was standing guard at my tomb. The rest is…unclear."

Rashaban could tell that he couldn't keep the demon inside suppressed for long without Radament's help. "The demon is still within you. Do you not feel it?"

"I must return-" He was cut off as the fire returned to his eyes, and Rashaban felt his spell break. The mummy spoke again, but in a voice that was nothing like the first. It was far more sinister, far more garbled, and very evil. "Fools. Radament is weak. He cannot help you."

"Who speaks?!"

"I am Duriel, and you will be consumed in my decay with the rest of this place."

"Umm, Rashaban…." Kara called. Rashaban turned his head, and saw that the minions were rising again.

"Mark my words, fiend, we will meet again! And I shall banish you, just as I banished Andariel!"

"Banishing the master is not so easy as banishing the slave," Radament spat back, "You will s-" The fire in his eyes began to sputter. The real Radament spoke once more, "Kill me now, before he returns." Rashaban ran up to him and drove his knife through Radamnet's stomach, sawing through to cut him apart. A golem rose behind him and finished the job. "Thanks," Rashaban said to the top half, before he expired.

Kara walked up behind him. "Wasn't breaking him in two a bit unnecessary?"

He shrugged. "Can't stab him in the heart. The head is too hard to cut off. This was the surest way."

Kara shrugged. "Ok then. Are we done here?"

"Well, Solmo needed to find some clue about the staff, but that's no concern to us anymore. Let's go."

They headed back to the waystone.


	33. Rough Start

When they told Atma and her husband that it was done, the happy couple both showered them with thanks, praise, and offers of gifts, which they modestly refused. Afterward, Rashaban grumbled, "Did the Rouges ever do that? No. It was always 'Oh. Nice work. Why don't you go kill these things now, too?'" Kara laughed at that.

They stayed at the inn that night, preparing to go out into the desert the next day.

Before venturing out, they decided they would need a guide, and hired one of Greiz's mercenaries. As they left the gate, they saw nothing, but as soon as they cleared the city walls, corrupted vultures glided in out of a clear sky, and leopard-demons leapt up from empty sands. They were definitely stronger than what they had faced before, but it was nothing they couldn't handle. Greiz's man was swarmed fairly early on, and he died before they could get to him through the press of foul monsters. It was partly the number o demons, but the heat was also beginning to bear down on them, slowing their reflexes. As they went along, Rashaban got used to it, but Kara got worse. She had a hard time steadying her bow, and she started to lag behind. They had brought plenty of water, but apparently that wasn't enough.

"What's the matter, can't take a little heat?" he joked.

Kara just glared at him, and stumbled forward.

With Kara's condition, Rashaban knew they would have to find one of the tombs soon or they would have to turn back. They rested under the shade of a large rock, while he sent his minions to scout for any tombs.

"Are you going to be ok?", he asked.

"If we get out of this blasted heat, then yes."

Rashaban shrugged. He knew it was hot, but it didn't seem _that_ hot. They simply sat in the shade for while, and it wasn't long before one of his skeletons found something. They trudged through the sand as quickly as they could.

Sure enough, it was one of the tombs. Kara rushed inside as fast as she could, with Rashaban laughing behind her. As soon as they were in, the temperature dropped from boiling to scalding. They found nothing more powerful than what they had faced in the sewers. Once they got to the second level, the temperature was cool, and they found some huge scarab beetle warriors, but no staff.

"Well, I guess it can't be that easy." Rashaban laughed, once they had cleared the last room.

"Let's wait until nightfall to go back to town.", Kara suggested.

"We'll have to fight more on the way back then."

Kara sighed. "Ok, let's just go now…straight back."

They didn't run into many monsters on the way back, but Kara was looking much worse. She was ready to drop in the sand by the time they got back to Lut Gohlein.

Once they got back to Atma's inn, Rashaban laughed. Kara was sunburned all over, and he had somehow managed, despite his pallid complexion, to be unaffected. "Obviously you weren't meant to fight in the heat."

Kara had no response. After almost getting heatstroke, she was in no mood to joke.

"Ok, look. _I'll_ go and find the staff. You," here he couldn't help but laugh, "get rid of that sunburn, then go and talk to Jehryn. You take care of closing the portal. Fair enough?"

Kara nodded, and slunk off to her bed.

Rashaban was glad he wasn't that sensitive to the weather, of all things.

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After that, they saw little of each other for a while. Each day, Rashaban went out into the desert, looking for lost tombs. At first, he was happy to do it, because it seemed like such a simple task. Just wander around clearing out tombs until he could track down the staff. But, as he found out, the ancient people who lived here had apparently entombed _everybody_ since day one. After the first week, he lost track of the number of tombs he had explored. To make it worse, the monsters were exactly the same each time. Without any sort of a challenge, it just seemed to stress the monotony. Granted, he did discover several treasure stashes, but Rashaban, despite the Necromancers' reputation, were not in the habit of robbing graves, even ancient ones, and left them where they lay.

Kara was faring no better. The basement of the palace was huge and winding, far too big for her to clear out in one day. It was certainly a relief to the embattled and dwindling Town Guard to have her there, but each time she took a rest for the night, she would return to find the basement crawling with monsters once more. Hoping she could deplete their numbers, she kept this up for a few days. When it finally became apparent that it wasn't working, she finally resorted to having the remaining Guards hold the floor she had cleared previously while she went to Atma's inn to rest. Then she would be up early the next morning to clear out the next floor. It was a sign of the guard's worthiness as soldiers that they could hold the stairs each night despite their diminishing numbers. Once Kara reached the bottom, however, she knew that once she stepped through the portal, she would need Rashaban's help. She ordered the guard, backed up by some of Greiz's men, to hold the portal until they could both make it down.


	34. Horazon's Stars

Returning from his latest dead-end tomb hunt, Rashaban was more than happy to go and help Kara clear out the Arcane Sanctuary. Drognan had told them that Horazon, the mage who created it, was most likely not there, and some other corrupted mage had taken it over for himself. They both readied themselves and went down to face whatever awaited them past the portal. The Town Guards holding it reported a few demons coming out at first, but for some reason, the incursions had stopped. They both shrugged and stepped through.

The sight that greeted them was dazzling, at first. Then shocking. Then mesmerizing. It looked as if they were floating among the stars. They stood on a flat gray platform of what looked like stone, only large enough to accommodate the portal itself and a few people. Steps of the same material led down to another, larger platform, which held a waystone. Three stone catwalks branched off from the large platform, seeming to continue forever into blackness. They both just stood there, dumbstruck, for a few minutes, drinking in the sight around them. Rashaban's curiosity got the better of him, and he got down on his stomach to peer over the edge.

He quickly came back up again. "This platform is only a foot thick. With no support I can see." He said, completely confused and awestruck. He looked around. 'Where are all the demons?' he wondered to himself. "Hey, Kara, where-" He was cut off as he looked over to her.

She hadn't even responded to his words. She just stood there, swaying back and forth, looking at all the stars. "_stars…_" the words faintly escaped her mouth, "_so many stars…"_

A part of Rashaban was inclined to agree and get back to looking at the stars. As he glanced back out into space, the thought filled his head with calm. '_yes, the stars…are so beautiful…we should sit here…together…forever…and look at the beautiful stars…'_The thoughts came slowly, with the calmness of sleep, leading into each other as gracefully as water flows. '_the stars…so many…so much beauty… _'

However, another part of him was fighting against the tide; that part of him knew something was up, and it wasn't about to let go. That part of his head scrambled to find a way around the thoughts of '_stars…stars…beautiful stars…so beautiful…_' An idea burst forth, a quick association, and the resisting part of Rashaban's mind grabbed onto it as quickly as it could.

"Know what else is beautiful?" he said in his head as quickly as he could.

'_stars…_'

'Stars and Kara.', he responded to himself.

In a trance, Rashaban's body slowly turned around, at speed that would have made a zombie look like an acrobat. He just couldn't turn his gaze from the beautiful stars, but he knew that he should look at Kara too, because she was beautiful, just like the stars, just like the world. Everything was so _beautiful…just like the stars…_

He felt he was losing his mental battle._ beautiful… just like Kara… just like him… just like the world…beautiful…stars…_

Then, just as he was about to slip under, his gaze fell upon Kara's face. 'There's something wrong with her face' one part of his mind said.

'_beautiful…her face is beautiful…_'

'How can there be something wrong with it if it's beautiful?' another part piped up.

'_like the stars…beautiful…'_Rashaban felt his stomach sinking in a feeling of pure joy mixed with bliss. He wanted to touch her face and kiss it, just like he wanted to touch the stars…He slowly moved towards her.

'The EYES, look in her eyes! Damnit! Her eyes!' the panicked part of him yelped. 'Quick!_' _

'_beautiful eyes… like beautiful stars…'_

'Yes, Yes, her eyes are beautiful! Just look in them now!'

Rashaban's eyes locked with hers…and locked with nothing. That jolted him a bit. He looked into her eyes once more…deeper…and fell back in horror, all thought of the 'beautiful stars' instantly banished from his mind by the terror pounding through his body at what he had seen. There was nobody there. Those were the eyes of a corpse, on a living, breathing human. He had seen more corpses than he could count in his life, and when he had begun his training, it had always reassured him that he wasn't cutting or experimenting on a real person, because their eyes were blank and dead. There was nobody inside. In just the same way, Kara was no longer there. He pulled himself together by looking at the cold, stone platform, not Kara or her eyes or the stars. What finally pulled his mind together was a grunt heard not far off. He raised his head to look, and understood.

A group of beastmen was slowly coming into view, eyeing the two new arrivals. They didn't look like they were in a hurry, just waiting for something. Suddenly, it all clicked in Rashaban's mind. The stars held a hypnotic charm spell that had almost dragged him under. Then, once it had done its work, the demons would simply come kill whoever was hypnotized and shove them off the edge.

'Or eat them,' he thought with a shudder. He glanced at Kara, then quickly glanced away. A small part of him wondered what he would do with himself if she were really gone for good. But, that part was soon pushed aside by a newcomer. Rage. He seethed with anger towards these foul demons for laying so despicable a trap. Had they no honor? It was probably a consequence of his near-hypnosis that he realized only a moment later that he had asked them the question out loud.

The beastmen stirred at the shout. Rashaban decided that, now that his cover was blown, the only thing to do was repeat the question. "Have you no honor using a trap like that? Vile fiends, you shall all die here!"

They approached him, but still in the distance, and the leader spoke, in a guttural tongue, "What trap do you speak of, vermin? We set no trap."

Something about these beastmen seemed…odd. Off, somehow. They didn't have the normal aura that demons had. 'Maybe they aren't in on it,' Rashaban thought to himself. 'I'd best make sure, though.'

"Then what about the stars?", he shot back.

"The one who summoned us here told us not to mind the stars. So we do not."

"Who summoned you?" he shouted back across the distance.

"The Summoner."

Rashaban almost slapped his head for expecting a useful answer. He tried a different approach, one that should give a little more useful information.

"What are your commands?"

"Guard this place.", the beastman responded.

"That is all?"

"That is all."

"So, why aren't you attacking us?"

"You do not intrude; you are merely on the doorstep."

Rashaban thought it over. Obviously these weren't real demons, or they would have attacked by now, not made up loopholes. "The stars contain a spell," he shouted back, "and my friend is trapped. Will you allow me to help her?"

"So long as you do not intrude."

Rashaban didn't know if he could trust them, but he was even more unsure about leaving. The shimmering portal was within arm's reach, but if he took Kara out, he didn't know if it would break the spell or just make it worse. He decided to play it safe, even if it did mean trusting the beastmen. Cautiously, he looked up at the stars. He could feel their tug at his mind now, but now that he was aware, he pushed it aside. He thrust both of his hands held close together up towards the stars, then pulled them apart, as if drawing back a curtain, while muttering the spell words for Blindness backwards, casting True Seeing. If there was any time he needed that spell, it then.

As soon as his spell was cast, he began to see the stars for what they were; just spells. However, before he could examine them in more detail, he caught sight of what the empty blackness _behind_ them was made of. It nearly made him fall down again, and he had to look twice to see it. The sky was made of glass. Beyond that glass, he could see walls, a floor, torches, and several giant sized town guardsmen, some of them lying around and others paying close attention to something beneath him that he couldn't see because of the platform. An arch of steel split the sky end to end. Suddenly it struck him. There had been a black orb atop the portal, surrounded by what looked like a sunburst or blades. They hadn't been transported to some other dimension or into the heavens, they had been sucked into this glass world. Nobody could see in because of the black fog surrounding the catwalks. Hidden in plain sight.

He was amazed. Nobody would ever think to look there! He glanced over to tell Kara what he saw, and suddenly remembered why he was doing this in the first place. He had been utterly awestruck with what he had seen, and it had temporarily pushed the sense of danger from his mind.

Now, however, it came back in full force. Kara's blank eyes were now made all the more chilling by a silly, deadpan grin. "_stars…_" still escaped her mouth every now and then. Rashaban hurried to examine the stars. After a little magical investigation, it turned out that the stars weren't so terrifying after all. There were a simple variation on a soul trapping spell, but far less dangerous. Rashaban guessed that it was simply a security measure that Horazon had put in place to keep would be intruders from getting very far. Then, he could deal with them at his convenience. Rashaban even noticed a part of the spell that ensured the trapped subjects would not starve. Rashaban couldn't unbind the spell himself; Vizjeri magic was very, very different from Necromancy. However, he soon found the release, and freeing Kara was as easy as opening a drawer. Apparently, this defense was not meant to be effective against mages.

Once she was awake, they confronted the beastmen. Rashaban asked them, "Are you here against your will?"

"Of course." the leader spoke up. "Why would I and my brethren want to be here?"

"Where are you from?"

"The far North, close to what you would know as Barbarian lands."

"Are you allied with Diablo?"

"Diablo corrupted this Summoner. Some of us serve him willingly, but most of us despise him for taking our honor and our freedom."

Rashaban shrugged. "Good enough for me. I'll release you from your summons."

The beastman cocked his head. "How? And why?"

"Why?" Rashaban ticked off the reasons on his fingers, "Because I don't like seeing living beings in slavery, and you deserve freedom. Because your master is corrupted by Diablo. Because you deserve a chance for honor. Because you didn't attack me, I don't want to fight you. As to how?" Here he grinned, "Because I am more powerful than your summoner."

He waved his hand, and the beastmen vanished in a flash.

Kara's jaw dropped. "You can _do_ that?!"

"Of course."

"Then why don't you do it to everything we fight?"

Rashaban shrugged. "Most of them aren't really summoned, and some of them are summoned by things more powerful than me. Or they want to fight me willingly."

"So, can you unsummon everything here?"

"I should be able to, except the summoner himself, and anything that willingly fights for him."

With that extra bit of help, the two progressed quite quickly through the winding labyrinth, stopping occasionally to fight something that hadn't been summoned against its will, mostly some vampiric wights that shot fire. The found quite a lot of treasure and some very odd staircases before they found the Summoner.

As they approached him, Rashaban could instantly tell that he had gone completely insane. Whether from corruption or choice, he couldn't tell, but he knew that death would be his only escape. He cackled madly as he blasted them with fire and ice, seemingly at random. However, since they were at such a distance, his attacks were easy to avoid. At first, Rashaban thought that a mercy killing was in order. But, then, another idea struck. He called out, "Summoner! Are not the stars beautiful tonight!"

The Summoner cackled back madly, "You can't fool me, fool! AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

Rashaban returned, "Are you not the master of this place? You aren't scared of Horazon's leftover spells, are you?"

The Summoner cackled back madly once more, "Of course not! Of course not! You will see!" He looked straight up. "You see?! You see?!"

Rashaban quickly and quietly drained the Summoner's magic shield with a curse.

"You see?! You see?! AHAHAHAHA! I am not afraid of the stars! The stars of the sky! The…beau…ti…ful…_stars…_"

Rashaban let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad that worked. I don't fancy myself a killer, even of the insane."

Kara nodded, and they walked past his swaying, muttering form over to the sparking symbols floating near the edges of the platform. They wrote them down on a piece of parchment before opening the tome to activate the portal to the Canyon of the Magi, just as Drognan had told them.


	35. Working In The Dark

When they emerged into the Canyon of the Magi, it was dark. They looked at each other. Had it really been that long? "Seems a bit hot for this time of night", Rashaban noted, put a bit off-balance by this new development.

Shrugging, they set off into the gloom. Drognan had said something about a waystone near the portal. After dispatching a few of the roaming gorillas, they found the waystone, and were back at the port city.

They noticed an unusually large number of torches lit, and people seemed to be giving them expectant looks. They shrugged them off and went to sleep, though for some reason, they didn't feel that tired. When they awoke in the morning, they could definitely tell something was wrong. It was still dark. Not quite knowing what to make of this, they wandered over to Atma, who seemed perfectly unconcerned.

"Umm…what…time is it?" Rashaban asked awkwardly.

"About nine in the morning, by my guess." Atma replied crisply.

Rashaban and Kara exchanged odd looks.

"Obviously you haven't heard," she said with a warm smile. "Last time Solmo was through here, a naga cult in the desert pulled this same stunt. Naturally, the whole town panicked, but luckily Solmo was here, and Drognan pointed him in the right direction. If my memory serves me correctly, he found the last part of the staff there."

Rashaban still looked a little confused. "And this same stunt would be…."

"Making the sun go black in the sky." Atma replied as if it were perfectly normal. "Last time there were huge riots, but now that everybody knows what's going on, we're just waiting for someone to get rid of the blasted things."

Rashaban had to see this for himself. He went outside, and sure enough, the stars shone in the sky, only a black, starless disc where the sun ought to be. 'The constellations.' he noted to himself, in awe of the magnitude of the spell, 'They're out of season.'

"Unfortunately, it just makes it black, it doesn't give us any shade." Atma had come up behind him with the comment, and Rashaban noted that it was still hot.

Kara was just sitting, and shaking her head in disbelief.

"Does this affect the whole world?" he wondered aloud.

Atma shook her head. "We think it only affects this area, because no travelers mentioned it last time it happened."

Suddenly businesslike, Rashaban turned to Atma. "So, where is this naga cult?"

Atma shrugged. "Search me. I'll bet Greiz would know. Come back in and have some breakfast first, though."

Still puzzled by Atma's nonchalant attitude in the face of all this, they sat down to eat.

Greiz actually beat them to it. He walked in just as they were finishing up, pulled up a chair, and got right to the point.

"You two know what's goin' on here?"

They nodded their heads.

"You know where the snakes' temple is?"

They shook their heads.

"Well, I do, but it'll cost you."

A bit put off by Greiz's attitude, Rashaban shot back, "Well, it's going to cost you if you _don't_ show us."

"Huh?"

Rashaban shrugged, and gave Kara a wink that Greiz couldn't see. "I actually prefer it this way, and I don't mind the heat. The sun gets so _blinding_ during the day. I prefer to work in darkness."

Greiz did a double take. "Are you sayin you won't go?!"

Rashaban shrugged again. "It's likely to be heavily guarded, and I have plenty of other tombs to go through first."

"I hate snakes." added Kara, playing her part as best she could, not quite sure what Rashaban was driving at here.

"But…but…but you're the heroes! You _have_ to go!" Greiz sputtered.

Rashaban could practically see the gears working in Greiz's mind.

"I'll tell you what." Rashaban smoothly shifted gears as he leaned over towards Greiz. "If you lead the expedition to the temple yourself, with a crowd of your mercenaries, we'll tag along for backup. I have no desire to go there, but it would be _such_ a nice change from doing them all by myself."

Caught, Greiz scowled at him. "And what about payment?!" Greiz snarled. It wasn't hard to see that Greiz knew exactly what Rashaban was doing, and he didn't like being put in a vice.

Rashaban shrugged "We'd be tagging along, not hiring you."

As Greiz swiftly got up to leave, Rashaban caught his arm and, in a mollifying tone, said, "But, we found plenty of treasure in the Arcane Sanctuary. It's more than we can spend at the moment. I'm sure you and your mercenaries could find better use for whatever treasure the expedition encounters down there."

At the promise of all the nagas' treasure, Greiz began to relax. He sat back down, and after a moment of thought, said, "Give me the rest of the day to gather my men. We leave tomorrow."

Rashaban nodded. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"And you.", Greiz replied, somewhere between a snarl and a sigh.

After Greiz left, Kara dropped her serious face, and asked, "What was that all about? Why did he agree? I didn't understand half that conversation. I mean, I understood what you were saying, but I don't see why he agreed, or why you said we wouldn't go in the first place, or why we should let him have all the treasure."

"Politics." Rashaban smirked. "Never get mixed up in politics unless you're ready for the risks." Seeing that wasn't much of an explanation, he continued. "Say we didn't want to go. We can always say we're busy fighting off much worse threats than some worthless snakes with a trick that makes the sun black.

Jehryn would then turn to Greiz, who's sitting comfortably holding the city walls. He has no such excuse, so the people, and Jehryn, will treat him quite differently than a couple of heroes. He'd be stuck doing it himself, and lose a lot of men."

"We…wouldn't have to go?"

"Of course not! We're outsiders, so nobody in this city, Jehryn included, can tell us what to do. We're fighting through to Duriel, remember? We have much more important things to do than some silly side mission against some trickster snakes. Greiz, however, is a different story."

Then, Rashaban looked around conspiratorially, and whispered, "Don't tell anyone, but if the snakes are able to cast that spell, I think they must have the staff."

Kara looked shocked. "You told Greiz you couldn't care less!"

Rashaban shrugged. "I bluffed. He doesn't know anything about magic, so he fell for it. It doesn't matter anyway, even if he knew about the staff, that doesn't help him."

"What if he tries to keep the staff for himself, and hold out on us?"

"Oh, Jehryn will be really happy with him if he pulls that." Rashaban shrugged again. "Greiz thinks he's got it easy, with his cushy job here. Most people like him think they do. The truth is, it costs them a lot more than they realize. In one respect, he's got it easy. In another, he's trapped."

Kara just shook her head. "I hate politics."

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The expedition consisted of Rashaban, Kara, Greiz, seventy mercenaries, and Warriv and Elzix riding an open-topped supply wagon towards the back. It turned out that Greiz had only a vague idea of where the temple was, and it was only made worse by the fact that they only had moonlight to go by. But Elzix and Warriv swore they knew where it was from 'back in the day'. After two days (or nights) of wandering the desert looking for 'anything that would jog their memory', Rashaban was convinced that the two of them should be left to rot. 'Maybe that would jog their memory.' he thought sourly. For all his bluffing talk to Greiz, the perpetual night left him uneasy. He wanted this over with.

Kara, however, took a different approach. She asked them about Kayasha. After listening to them ramble on for hours exaggerating about their adventures, Warriv slapped his head. "That's it! The stone head! Remember, Elzix! Why didn't we think of that before?! If any of the scouts reports that they saw an old stone head of a statue, then we're on the right track!"

Greiz slapped his head. "That was yesterday, you worthless desert rats! Argh! Turn around!"

For once, Rashaban agreed with the mercenary captain, and looked like he was entertaining thoughts of giving the two retired adventurers the shiv in their sleep. Kara just laughed at him. "Warriv says only one more day once we reach the head,", she offered.

Rashaban just gave her an uneasy stare. "This constant night disrupts the Balance." he muttered. "It must be ended."

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After finally finding Warriv's landmark, they made good time to the temple. And, once they arrived, Rashaban was exceedingly glad that he had coerced Greiz into bringing his mercenaries.

Kara, walking out towards the vanguard, suddenly held up a hand to slow the caravan. With her Inner Sight, she could see dozens surrounding them. She noted quickly that they used the darkness and the broken temple terrain to their advantage far better than most.

"We're surrounded." She said simply, loudly enough for most to hear, but softly enough for it not to carry to the naga.

"What?!" Greiz almost shouted, but held himself back and replied in the same tone she had used. "Why didn't you see them sooner, o' famed Amazon!?"

"My Inner Sight doesn't see forever." Kara shot back, keeping her pace. "They traveled back around us, and out of my range before closing in." She paused. "I don't think they know we're on to them yet; they must think we just slowed down. There's a fair lot of them, I say we surrounding the wagon-"

"AMBUSH!!!" Greiz shouted. "Surround the wagon! Elzix, Warriv, more torches! We need light!"

As the mercenaries around her scrambled back to the wagon, Kara hung her head momentarily. "-w_ithout_ alerting them, was the idea." she muttered to herself in exasperation.

Though rather useless without their partners (as Rashaban and Kara had found out the first time they hired one), the desert mercenaries worked beautifully as a team. They had surrounded the wagon in seconds, forming circular ranks and readying their long glaives with a communal shout. Greiz jumped to the front of the wagon, slapping blinders on the camels, and drawing his scimitar, ready for anything.

Kara leapt to the riding board, an arrow already nocked, waiting for the inevitable.

With Greiz at the front, Rashaban raised a golem a ways out from the ranks at the back of the wagon, and cocked his crossbow from his vantage point on the back of the wagon. Warriv and Elzix were soon finished lighting all the torches they could without setting the wagon on fire, and they settled in grimly.

All their preparations complete, they simply sat and waited, amazed that they hadn't been attacked yet.

Elzix shrank back in under the back of the riding board, and yanked at the bottom of his peg leg. At the sound, the others looked over to him, and saw him pull a short sword out from it; a hidden sheath. Hiding it behind his back, he clarified with a wicked smile, "If one o' them takes me fer easy prey, let em' come."

Warriv nodded, but made no move to draw a hidden weapon of his own.

Rashaban noted that Warriv was the only one not armed to the teeth.

"Can you defend yourself?" Rashaban whispered to him from across the wagon. "After all those tales, I can hardly believe you'd let us have all the fun."

Warriv let out a chuckle. "I am retired, you know. It's been a while. You hand me a sword, and I'd probably drop it from how rusty I am. But, I might have a little surprise."

Rashaban smirked. "Retired, huh? You're how old, forty?!"

Warriv smiled. "Let's just get back to these snakes, hmm?"

Rashaban nodded. Still nothing. Using his golem's dark vision, he peered ahead, and saw that several were ganging up on one. They were close to the circle of torchlight…

Rashaban drew back in disgust at the sudden realization. They thought one of their own had tipped them off, and now it was paying for the imagined slip-up.

He looked around, and saw that the mercenaries were holding their ranks as tightly as ever, the five minute wait having had no effect on their readiness. 'Good.', he thought.

"Kara." He whispered back over his shoulder towards the front. "Let's get in the first strike, shall we?"

Using his golem's eyes to pierce the darkness once more, he aimed his crossbow off the back of the wagon, compensated for the difference in height, and pulled the trigger.


	36. Snakes!

They got off two vollies before they all heard a guttural hiss, and their little circle of light came alive with writhing, slithering bodies. With a sibilant cry, the snakes shot forward, wickedly serrated weapons clasped in their claw-like hands, and murder in their eyes.

The mercenaries shot back a war cry of their own; though they knew they were hopelessly outnumbered, each knew he had a trusted brother in arms at his back, with a spear at the ready. The first ranks hefted their glaives high into the air, apparently leaving them wide open in a foolish preparation for a downward slash. The snakes took full advantage, each one coming in low for the belly.

What they didn't know was that the second rank of their enemies had their spears pulled back as far as they could, leveled parallel the ground, muscles tensed, in a drill they had practiced to perfection.

As they met, the snakes slid in low with their eyes on the raised glaives, seeking which way to dodge. What they found were unmoving human statues before them, and by the time they realized the ruse, it was too late. A ferocious barrage of thrusts erupted from the second rank of mercenaries, thirty glaives piercing the night air and snake hides from behind their comrades. As the second wave of snakes came crashing down from all directions, the first rank clove the night air and their serpentine foes as one in a vicious, simultaneous slash to the earth from their still upraised glaives.

As the snake charge continued unabated, a wan smile crossed the company as one. As they all took in the sight of two ranks of snakes decimated, with no losses of their own, they quickly realized something. They were no longer outnumbered.

From his vantage point on the wagon, Rashaban could see the fight was going well. He dropped his crossbow and drew out his wand. Skeletons rose and corpses exploded all around him, further decimating the enemy ranks.

Rashaban surveyed the battlefield once more, and saw that Greiz and his golem were doing well at the front and rear, but the left side was caving. The mercenaries had played their trump card, and were now taking some losses with the snakes pressing in too close. Sending some skeletons to reinforce, he realized that he was too late.

He saw the snakes press hard against he left flank, and eventually it gave way. One jumped for him, but instead found Kara's new toy, her fire-and-ice trident, in its head.

Rashaban saw a second one moving towards a cowering, terrified looking Elzix, and instinctively jumped to help him. The next moment, he remembered Elzix's instructions, and the moment after that, an overconfident naga had a sword sticking out is back.

Rashaban caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and swung around to see another launch itself through the air. In an amazing leap, it jumped from the ground across the wagon, almost slithering through the air itself, a wicked-looking kris already slashing right for an unarmed Warriv.

Again, Rashaban swiftly turned around to intercept, but the wily retiree was faster still. Warriv's hand slid into his baggy trousers, and whipped out with a long, thin rod. That was all Rashaban could register before there was a crash like thunder, a flash like a bonfire, and the naga was thrown back off the wagon in mid-flight. At the tremendous noise, Greiz's well-disciplined mercenaries only flinched for a second before pressing the advantage once more, driving the shocked naga to flee the battle that was rapidly turning against them.

After the last one had fled the torchlight, Rashaban looked over to Greiz and said. "Good work. Your men fight well together."

Breathing hard, Greiz nodded, accepting the compliment.

Then, Rashaban turned to Warriv and said, "And what, might I ask, was that?"

Warriv shrugged and replied, "The perfect weapon for an old, retired caravan driver." holding up the rod for all to see. It had a wooden grip with a long metal tube protruding from the front. All in all, it was a little under two feet long. A complicated looking mish-mash of levers sat about half-way down the length, at the base of the metal tube.

"It's called a flintlock. It combines blacksmithing and alchemy. You put a special powder behind a lead ball, and this lever here holds flint and steel. One spark, the powder flares up, and the ball shoots out the end." He eyed his would-be killer. "Very effective, too."

Rashaban shook his head in disbelief, while Kara looked intrigued that it actually worked. "Where did you _find_ it?", she asked.

Warriv shrugged, "Fara gave me the directions for how to make it, but search for where she got them. Charsi actually did all the work for it; she considered it a special challenge. And, Lysander boils up the powder to make it fire."

He looked at it approvingly. "Charsi even named it after seeing it in action."

Rashaban and Kara crowded closer to look. Engraved with calligraphy, on the right side, on a long, thin, silver sheet, was the word: BOOMSTICK.

As the wagon erupted in laughter at the apt name, one of the mercenaries was looting the bodies. Passing over the body with the gunshot wound, he picked up the kris. It was obviously of exceptional craftsmanship, the wavy blade much longer than most, with a wickedly spiked knuckle guard. Recognizing it after a few moment's perusal, he called back to Rashaban, "Oi! Necromancer! How'd ye like Solmo's blade!"

He tossed it up towards the wagon, and Rashaban caught it, looking over it in awe. "Are you sure?"

The mercenary nodded. "I saw 'im usin' it when 'e was 'ere, and Meshif brought it back with 'im from the jungle. Somebody stole it a few months back; looks like we found it. It's called de Jade Tan Do Kris."

Rashaban hefted it eagerly. It was obviously magical, and very, very powerful. As he gave it a few practice swings and thrusts, he felt its obvious power. But, as he slipped his previous kris, a magical weapon in its own right, out of its sheath, he felt an odd tug. Just…a funny feeling. Shaking it off, he hefted his newfound weapon, and tossed the helpful mercenary a few gold for not keeping it for himself. With a grin, he jumped off the wagon, and took the blinders off the camels. They couldn't be far away now.

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They parked the wagon outside the temple, leaving Elzix and Warriv to guard it, along with about twenty of Greiz's men. They had lost ten in the attack, which left forty to take with them into the temple.

As it turned out, they didn't need them. The snakes had apparently put most of their manpower into the surprise attack, because they encountered very light resistance. 'Hoping to end us before we even arrived.' Rashaban noted dryly to himself. 'Might have worked, too, if we had brought fewer men.'

They ran into real resistance at the central altar, where twenty snakes crowed around. They could have simply pushed through with their overwhelming numbers, but Rashaban and Kara decided to go through first, and take the brunt of them on with the mercenaries as backup. "We'll lose fewer men that way." Rashaban suggested

Rashaban plowed in with a golem and three skeletons backing him up. With the Jade Tan Do in his hand, this fight seemed effortless; he raised his hand for an overhead strike, and a snake came in, eyes on the blade. Bashing its face with the knuckleduster on his fist gave him more than a little satisfaction. Kara's poisoned javelins whizzed past his head, and after a few, the room was clouded with killing fumes. She finished handing out the last of the special antidotes to her javelin poison, then yelled, "Chaaarge!"

In the confusion, the poison and the sudden, overwhelming press of mercenaries, the snakes were killed in minutes.

The staff lay upon the altar, still unbroken. Wiping his brow, Rashaban went to retrieve it, then broke the altar to break the spell, smashing his new weapon down upon it.

It was then that he realized what was wrong. It just felt…wrong using Solmo's blade to do the things that Solmo had done. Looking down at the weapon, he felt a pang of something that wasn't guilt, and wasn't queasiness, but something in between. He remembered his time back in the forest, which already seemed long distant, where he had resolved that he was not being pulled along by Solmo's fate; he was choosing his own, quite separate, destiny. He felt like he was cheating himself by using this weapon.

A bit torn, he wandered over to where the rest of the group, mostly Greiz, was rifling through the treasure. Kara called over, "Hey, Rashaban! Come look at this!" She held up an ornately carved crossbow. "The identify scroll says it's called the Ichorsting Crossbow, and it's pretty powerful."

Before Rashaban could get his hands on it, Greiz stalked over. "I seem to remember something about you handing me over _all_ the treasure."

Rashaban winced, and nodded. "I did indeed." Inwardly he cursed. Beaten at his own game. He looked longingly at the Ichorsting Crossbow; it seemed like it would fit his hands so well. He was about the ask Greiz his price, which would undoubtedly be ridiculous, when the obvious idea flew into his mind.

"Tell you what, then." he told Greiz as he was about to turn away. He held out the Jade Tan Do Kris. "I'll trade you."

As they approached the exit, Rashaban was looking forwards to seeing the light of day again. As they stepped outside, though, the landscape was still white with moonlight. Rashaban whirled around. Had he failed to break the spell?

Kara laughed at his reaction, and whispered something to Greiz. "I guess it's about ten at night." the captain chuckled.

Once they were safely back on the caravan, and headed towards Lut Gohlein, Rashaban test fired his new crossbow, and found it very much to his liking. He slid his old kris back into its sheath, and it felt good there. Very good. Nothing was going to turn him aside from his destiny.

Once back in Lut Gohlein, they rested up for a few days. They knew they had to be ready for what was to come.


	37. A Simple Hit And Run

Rashaban and Kara geared up, and got ready around the fifth day. They knew their injuries were fully healed, and they were as ready as they would ever be to fight this monstrosity.

Before they left the inn, they discussed their tactics. Rashaban took a deep breath, and said, "All right, with Andariel, we had plenty of secondhand information from the Rouges and Cain on how fire was her weakness. With Duriel, we have nothing. So, let's do a simple hit and run, then come back with some of Greiz's troops, once we have plan."

Kara wasn't so sure. "How are we going to escape? He'll probably block our town portals, just like Andariel."

Rashaban shrugged. "According to Cain, the tomb he's in is nowhere near as deep, large, or complex as the Monastery. We clear it out, then run back out way we came. Simple."

"And if he runs after us..?"

"Let's hope he doesn't."

As soon as they left the inn, they split up to pay the merchants a visit. When they met back on the waystone, Rashaban said, "Allright, no heroics, got it? We need to find out what his weakness is, if he has one, then run."

Kara looked skeptical. "I still don't like the sound of this. What if he blocks the exit somehow? What if he follows us?"

Rashaban thought for a moment. "He can't use the waystone, and that's the only way for him to really follow us. If he blocks the exit, we'll just break through."

"Isn't that kind of…cowardly?"

"What, running in, then running out to go get the reinforcements? Look, if we go in there with Greiz's backup at first, we won't have a plan, and they'll all get killed. We won't even cause any real damage to him, we're just feeling him out. Doesn't sound too dishonorable to me. Besides that, he's a demon, who cares?"

Kara just gave a funny look. "I just have this feeling that this is going to turn out badly."

Rashaban shrugged. "Oh, come on, what could go wrong?"

As they stepped off they waystone, they were beset by the standard foes, but after taking out a particularly large swarm, it was a fairly easy run through the Valley of the Magi to the tomb, since they had the correct symbol from the Arcane Sanctuary.

The cleared out the tomb, making sure to check every side room so their escape wouldn't be cut off, then they approached the raised dais at the very end of the complex.

They shared a glance.

"Ready?" Rashaban asked.

Kara nodded.

Rashaban took a deep breath and stuck the staff firmly in its holder. Immediately, the runes around it began to light up, and an arcane glow began to build up at the top, drawing from the sunlight from a perfectly positioned hole in the roof. They both stepped back. After a few minutes, the arcane energy formed into a bolt, and with a great crash, blasted a large hole in the wall directly across from them.

Without hesitation, they entered.

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Lit by a sickly green light, the chamber they entered was ankle-deep in slime, with putrid maggots crawling everywhere. They could barely see that the walls were pitted and scarred, and the deep gloom hid the true size of the room.

Without even uttering a threat or a roar, Duriel charged forth out of the shadows, his slurping across the slime the only noise he made. Rashaban and Kara recovered from his sudden attack quickly enough, but his appearance was hidden in the gloom. With only a vague form in the darkness to strike at, Kara kept her trident at the ready, and Rashaban already had a golem up. Reaching out with his magical senses, Rashaban held back and tried to sense any weakness in his opponent, any variation, any off-key element that might give it away. All he could sense was decay. Knowing that he didn't have all day, he tried harder, but it was no use; Duriel had no weaknesses. He was simply a very powerful demon of decay.

Rashaban scowled. He had asked his teachers at the Academy numerous time why they only studied death, and not the flip side of the coin, life. They had given him vague answers about Druids having that job.

Involuntarily, he snorted. Now, he had nothing. All his magic _was_ decay, he couldn't do a thing against Duriel. Glancing over, he saw that Kara and his golem were getting nowhere; claws were simply slicing out of the darkness and returning there. But, they were holding their own. Rashaban ordered his golem on the defensive. He thought to himself, 'If I try and cast anything, it'll probably just make him…stronger.' suddenly, it came to him in a flash. This would be too easy.

Kara was disgusted by what her Inner Sight showed her. A huge maggot, with a vicious head and huge claws, was simply toying with them. She couldn't see any way to hit it; its claws had a longer reach than her spear. She contemplated ducking under their reach, but knew that would most likely get her a claw in the back. She looked over and saw that Rashaban's golem was frozen, and was quickly running over a plan to get behind him somehow, when she heard Rashaban yell, "That's IT! Let's GO!"

They both ran out of the hole as fast as they could, and they heard rocks cracking as Duriel tried to force his way out of the tiny entrance. They didn't even look back, sprinting through the path they had cleared to the waystone.

Once they were back in town, Rashaban breathed sigh of relief. Kara looked at him, a bit confused. "What's the deal? I didn't see any weaknesses. It looks to me like he's tough, and Greiz is going to lose a lot of men while we try and hack through that thing. He won't go down easily."

Rashaban nodded, catching his breath. "That's –huff- true. But, -huff- I _did _find a weakness."

Kara waited for him to catch his breath after the long sprint (she wasn't even winded), then replied, "Let's hear it."

Rashaban opened him mouth to speak, and looked frustrated, as if he couldn't find the words. "Think of a dam."

Kara looked at him emptily. "A what?"

Gesturing emptily with his hands, trying to find some way to explain, he finally said, "Follow me."

At the docks, Rashaban made a little hollowed-out mound of sand, with a small piece of driftwood over the only opening.

Kara smirked. "So…your grand plan to kill Duriel is a sand castle. I think you've finally cracked. When they lock you up-"

"Oh, shut up." Rashaban glared. I'm just doing this because _you_ don't know what a dam is."

"Actually, I do." Kara replied with a smirk. "We have a huge dammed lake in the middle of one of our cities. I just didn't get how it would help."

Rolling his eyes, Rashaban poured sea water into the sand until it was near the top. "Okay, think of this as a demon's power reserve. When we killed Andariel, we drained it away, little by little, until she ran out." He opened his driftwood gate, and the water poured out.

"Ok…"

What do you think would happen if we did the opposite?"

"You mean, _not _kill him until he doesn't run out of power?" Kara replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm and a little frustration.

"Bah. Look." Rashaban closed his gate, and poured seawater in until it overflowed.

He glared at his makeshift example.

"Still not getting it…" Kara drawled.

"Well, if that had been a real dam, it would have burst when it was overflowed.", Rashaban countered.

Kara rolled her eyes. "The _point_, if you wouldn't mind."

Finally, Rashaban blurted, "Duriel's element is decay. My spells use decay. They'll make him stronger. If I can cast enough of them at him, then he'll overflow. He won't be able to control his powers anymore."

Kara looked skeptical. "What if it's just like your sand castle, and nothing happens?"

Rashaban glanced back at his display, and saw that, while they were talking, the dam had fallen apart, and the water had drained out.

He grinned up at Kara. "See? What could go wrong?"

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Greiz wasn't particularly impressed by the idea, either.

"So, you take a bunch of my men down there, and they're supposed to just stand in front of you while you try this trick of yours?!"

Rashaban nodded slowly. "Well, if you put it that way…"

"How do you know its even going to work?! It's just a gamble! Not with my men!"

Rashaban scowled. "I know it will work! There's only so much power he can hold. I'm not even asking your men to fight! Just keep him distracted until I can pump enough energy into him so that he can't control it anymore!"

Greiz crossed his arms. "And how long is that supposed to take?"

Rashaban shrugged. "It shouldn't take long. If he doesn't take any damage, he won't use up his powers to heal himself, so he'll be almost at his limit when the fight starts. I just have to push him over it."

"And then what?"

"Then we _run_. He'll release a shockwave of pure decay; it'll kill anyone and consume anything it touches. We get to the waystone, and get out."

By the look on his face, Greiz was still unconvinced.

Rashaban sighed. "If I talk to Drognan, and he says it will work, then will you give me some troops?"

"I'll consider it." Greiz snapped. "Why do you need this damn fool plan anyway! Why can't you just go in and hack him up like normal?"

Here, Kara interjected, "Because, he has claws that are twice as long as a spear, and they freeze you on contact. I could tangle with those, or, I could let Rashaban try this. Look, your men all have spears, and they all know how to use them. All they have to do is keep him a spear's length away, and busy, while Rashaban gives this a try. If it fails, then we'll do it your way. But, a lot less of your men are going to die if this works. If we just went in and tried to hack him up, we'd need more mercenaries."

"And if I refuse both plans?! I don't think you have the gold to pay for all the men you say you need."

Rashaban sighed again. "Must we bring Jehryn into this? Listen, I'll go and talk to Drognan."

Greiz nodded curtly, and walked off.

Rashaban sighed. His latest perfect plan wasn't having the reception he was hoping for. Glancing at the setting sun, he declared; "I'm going to bed. I'll talk to Drognan in the morning; maybe then, I'll have a better idea of how to sort this out."

Kara still wasn't convinced that it was going to work, but, since nobody had a better plan, she was prepared to at least try it, and she said so.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence.", Rashaban said dryly, but appreciatively, and went to bed.

Kara wasn't quite done yet, though. She tracked down Drognan herself, and asked about the plan.

Drognan thought a minute before he responded, and said, "Intriguing. His theory is sound. I would say he has good odds, but I can not say that it will work for sure. Good luck, in any case."

Kara thanked him, and went to bed herself. She knew that tomorrow would bring a battle. What she didn't know was how soon.


	38. Never Thought Of That

They were both awoken by rallying cries, early in the morning. Eyes snapping awake, they leapt out of bed and threw open the doors of their rooms. Sharing a quick glance in the hallway, they armored themselves with a speed even they were surprised at, and, as one, rushed out of Atma's inn. The streets were in chaos; Greiz's men and the royal guards rushing towards the gates, and the townspeople just running randomly in a panic, screaming about how they were all going to die. They rushed towards the main gate and, seeing Greiz and Jehryn up on the wall, sprinted up the narrow stairs, precariously shoving past mercenaries as they went. When they reached the top, all eyes were on them. Jehryn didn't say a word, but simply pointed a long arm out towards the sands.

Duriel was charging across the open desert, headed right for Lut Gohlein. In the gloom of his lair, he had simply been a vague section of maggot crossed with a vague section of teeth and claws. In the glaring light of the sun, he was far more horrific.

They could make out the sick, bloated form of his maggot half, undulating across the ground with nauseating movements.

They could clearly see the blue of his skin; it was the blue of mold, the same color blue of a strangled victim's face, the blue of a drowned man's blood.

They could see the oversized claws, each one half again as long, stout, and sharp as a war scythe.

They could see the gaping mouth, slicing his face apart in a wicked, demented smile full of teeth best compared to short swords.

And, they could barely make out the eyes, squinted against the bright light; the sickly shade of puss yellow, the tinge of a moldering, festering wound, the tint of old bone.

The both of them were dumbstruck.

Rashaban couldn't find the words. All he could manage was, "But…but…but…but-HOW?!"

"We left him in there!" Kara practically shrieked. "The hole was way too small for him to get out!"

Jehryn turned to them, and with an obvious forced calm, replied, "It seems as though he has escaped."

Rashaban and Kara shared a glance, for once completely at a loss. As they looked into each other's eyes, each one saw the other's fear. They were confident that they could destroy Duriel, by Rashaban's trick or by force. But, that was in his lair. If they died, if they fell, then they did. They knew they were putting their life on the line daily; they had chosen this path. That was not the fear that coursed through their veins and their eyes. There was a whole city below them. An entire city of innocents, who would die if they failed.

Rashaban's eyes lost their focus, and he started breathing heavily and quickly, his gaze darting out across the sands to the monstrosity bearing down on them, and flitting back towards the roiling mass of people beneath.

Kara visibly staggered backwards as the realization hit, propping herself up with her spear to keep her balance.

They both simply stood there, reeling for a moment, as the full weight of what they had inadvertently done came crashing down. They had never borne this sort of responsibility, never had this much weight on their shoulders.

Rashaban staggered over to the battlements, leaning on them to steady himself, his head spinning.

Greiz shouted something derogatory at him, but it didn't even register through the chaos in his head. He always had control of the situation. Even the worst one; when Andariel had killed his Rouge backup. Then, he still had room to move, factors to play to his favor, a singular battle to analyze and manipulate; more cards up his sleeve.

All that came crashing down with the realization that thousands panicked below him, utterly defenseless, and requiring his full attention and demanding all his efforts; the situation was no longer in his control.

Kara saw Rashaban stumble towards the parapet, and followed suit, the end of her pilum hitting the ground with a dull thud as she used it to support herself, a queasy feeling in her stomach. She had some basic attack plans in case Rashaban's trick failed, but now that so many were merely animals for the slaughter…she would have no room to move, no way to distract him or kill him in time. She wasn't strong enough, and people were going to die because of it.

His hands shaking, her vision blurring, and both of their heads floundering in chaos, they somehow shared another glance. They each saw the other scrambling to come to grips with the situation, and somehow they drew strength from that knowledge; each anchored the other back to reality, and back to the dire situation. As their eyes stayed locked, thoughts whipped around that anchor, and came to a crystal clear focus.

A memory of his training snapped, unbidden, to the forefront of Rashaban's mind;

'_Rashaban shrugged, and replied, "Can't let the enemy see your fear. If you're fighting, you fight harder, with more focus, more concentration, more strength. Push yourself to your limits, and the fear won't have any room.'_

Likewise, Kara's mind grasped hold of a memory that had kept her going;

'_She set her mind, steeled her resolve, and prepared to do what she had been trained to do. No, this was not what she was trained to do. "For the final moments of my life", she intoned, "I shall become a true warrior."'_

Taking a deep breath, Rashaban steadied himself, stood up to his full height, and glared out at the monster, assessing the situation. 'I can't afford to lose this.', was all he thought.

Kara closed her eyes, flexed her hands open and then to fists. Once her eyes opened again, they were devoid of all fear. They held only resolve, and a hunger for the end of this madness.

"Jehryn." Rashaban said simply, without looking at him. His voice was no longer confused, or waving, or surprised. Now was so clear and commanding, that Jehryn almost took offense to it, as though he had been given an order. Rashaban turned to look at the prince, a calculating gleam in his eyes. "We brought this threat here, and will deal with this. You have a part to play here, as well." he paused. (Later he would not admit it to himself, but it was for dramatic effect.) "I need you to restore order. Get everyone out of here. The Arcane Sanctuary will hold the entire city, and is now clear of monsters. Use it."

Jehryn would ordinarily have spat back a comment about who was giving to orders in the city, but under the circumstances, he knew there was no time, and held his tongue. As he turned to go, Rashaban put an arm on his shoulder. "Tell everyone not to look at the stars."

As Kara heard what Rashaban was doing, she marched over to Greiz. "Gather your men." She said simply. At his incredulous look, she continued, "Drognan said that Rashaban's little trick had good odds. If you want any of your men to come out of this alive, you'll heed what I have to say. I have a plan."

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By the time Duriel reached the gates, the town was empty. The seething, roiling mass of panic had drained down into Jehryn's Palace, and from there, to the Arcane Sanctuary. Duriel bashed through the gates unopposed, smashing them open with a single swipe of his claws. As he slid through, leaving the gates pitted and scarred by the mere wake of his passing, he didn't notice that they hadn't even been barred.

From the moment he entered, Rashaban had his spell on him. From atop a building far across the city, he had a clear view, and he channeled as much magical force into Duriel as he could.

Kara looked out from her hiding spot. She saw Duriel hesitate for a moment, almost as if he were flinching at some unseen itch. It was only momentary, however, and soon he was again undulating through the streets in his sickening way. The cobblestones behind him looked charred and weathered, and he trailed a miasma in his wake that left holes and caked filth on the buildings around him. Kara shook her head at the sight, then looked back at the slightly unnerved group of mercenaries behind her.

"Remember the plan, and we'll get through this." she whispered. "No heroics. All we have to do is buy time."

She looked back towards the demon, and saw that he was advancing straight towards Rashaban's position. She didn't know if he was on to their plan, or if he was just attracted by the energy, but he had gone right past their hiding spot, and now was the perfect time to strike. With an Amazon war cry, she leapt out of the cover of the alley, followed closely by the mercenaries. She rushed towards Duriel, her trident in hand, and made as if to strike him. Duriel whipped his head around, and with sickening fluidity, simply sucked his head along his maggot half, so that he was facing them without having to turn around. Kara waved her trident at his face, her eyes always on the claws, and the mercenaries followed suit.

They dodged and stabbed at empty air, sometimes causing a small flesh wound, but never any real damage, always focusing on staying away from the claws. Kara was beginning to wonder how long this was going to take, when Duriel started to back away, towards Rashaban. He was still facing them, but was seemingly losing interest in swiping at them and getting nowhere. "We have to keep-"

And, as Kara and her allies soon found out, he had left them to walk into a trail of his manifested corruption. Kara cut off her command, as they all faltered for a moment, coughing and hacking as their lungs fought against it, filled with the vile fumes.

Duriel began to back away from his choking victims, and turn back towards Rashaban, no longer interested in weaklings. As he turned his head away, one of the mercenaries courageously charged forwards, shaking off the effects of Duriel's trail, and stabbed him in the back. Duriel roared and twisted himself back around.

His roar drove everyone, even the courageous mercenary, to the ground for a moment simply for what it was. It was not a roar of hatred, no bellow of rage and anger and blood lust; it was something far more sinister. It was a sound the Kara had heard many times during the final battle for the Monastery. Duriel's battle cry was a human death scream, and it was echoed as he pierced the brave mercenary completely through with a claw. As Kara and the rest got to their feet, they witnessed one, final act of valor.

Duriel's victim had dropped his spear before the frost took effect, but, as he was about to be devoured, he drew out a glimmering curved knife, and with the last of his strength, broke through the ice encasing him and shoved it through the top of Duriel's mouth, just before the teeth came down, and he was pierced a dozen times over before crumbling away to ash in the fiend's wicked maw.

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Far away on the rooftop, Rashaban was about to curse whoever had caused Duriel so much damage; he was close, the forces of decay bottled up in the demon building to a violent pressure, and now Duriel would surely draw on some of that power to heal himself or use some wicked attack. But, a smile soon formed on Rashaban's lips. Apparently Duriel was too enraged, too distracted by the dagger in his head to do anything, and wasn't drawing away any more power. Rashaban redoubled his efforts, pushing himself to his limits to finish this, and not put whatever sacrifice was made to waste. His opinion of that nameless man had changed considerably. With that thought, he downed his fifth mana potion and kept it up.

As Duriel thrashed in pain from the dagger in his head, Kara pushed her advantage, thrusting forwards with her spear her allies close behind, they harassed him until he broke through the haze of pain, and began slashing at them wildly, far to randomly and quickly to avoid casualties.

Kara yelled out, "Greiz! NOW!"

As her group vanished into the surrounding alleyways, Greiz and a second group leaped out from behind, harassing him from the back. As Duriel slid his ugly torso across his body once more, Griez's group melted away into the city, and Kara's group came to strike again.

As Kara's group melted onto the alleys once again, she glanced out of the corner of her eye, and saw that Duriel was now thrashing about in a different way. She didn't quite know how it was different, but it just was. Then, she caught the air around him beginning to darken, and thicken. Either Rashaban's plan had worked, or Duriel going to use a new attack. Either way, it was time they were going.

"Everybody run!" She yelled, and sprinted through the alleys to the palace, the rest of them right on her heels.

Kara's command came an instant before Rashaban shouted it across the rooftops. His plan had worked, and from his vantage point, he could see the liquid decay flowing out from Duriel, far too fast to be controlled. He could also see that both groups were well on their way to the palace. With one unfortunate side effect; Duriel was now thrashing towards him again, through the haze. Cursing, Rashaban ran down the stairs, cutting off his magical link so that he would be harder to find, and wove his way through the alleys. He caught sight of the palace just as the last of the mercenaries made it through the door. And, just as Duriel lost control.

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Looking over his shoulder as he ran, Rashaban saw buildings crumbling in a wave behind him; Duriel's decaying form shooting off the same lighting bolts Andariel had. The buildings were slowing the explosion, but not by much. He sprinted as hard as he could, and cursed himself for not learning the bone wall spell. It would have been handy. Rushing through the doors, Rashaban simply jumped down the stairs, cursing the damage to his legs when he landed, but knowing that his death was right behind him

Scrambling to his feet, he jumped down the next stairwell, and the next, using golems to break his fall slightly after his first attempt. Once he was down to the second level of the basement, he glanced back, to see if the creeping, roiling mass of decay had been slowed by the multiple levels. It was meandering down the stars after him, like a mist. He hurriedly raised a golem, hoping against hope that the sheer mass of it would halt the creeping death, if only by a second. Running even faster, ignoring his burning lungs and his legs pounding with pain, the mist on his heels, he finally reached the portal after what seemed like a never-ending run. Barreling through at top speed, he yelled at the top of his lungs, "DROGNAN! CAIN! CLOSE IT!!!!"

A second later, the portal went dark, and they were safe.


	39. Rebuilding

Rashaban collapsed, not caring where he was anymore, just knowing that he was safe, utterly burned out by the constant magical channeling and the hard sprint after that. After taking a few minutes to catch his breath, he took his eyes off the hard cold ground, and looked up. He found himself at Kara's feet. And, from the smirk on her face, he had collapsed there.

Kara barely suppressed a snicker at his condition. "Can't you handle _anything_? How long was that sprint? Two hundred yards? Maybe three?"

The assembled crowd flared up with laughter at that, but at the look on Rashaban's face, all the smugness left her eyes, and she knelt next to him. Genuine concern in her voice this time, she quickly asked, "Are you all right?"

Rashaban felt like his lungs were going to collapse, his legs were going to seize up, and he was going to throw up his stomach, but he nodded. "I'll be fine in a minute."

Kara looked skeptical. "Are you sure you didn't breathe any of that in?"

Rashaban shook his head. "This is just-" A chough cut him off.

Kara helped him to his feet, and said, "Come on, walk it off. It doesn't help to sit still after that."

Rashaban nodded weakly, and complied.

As they were walking Rashaban soon began to feel the effects wearing off, but he had a horrible thought. The Arcane Sanctuary was simply a glass ball on top of the portal itself. If the mist were to corrode it… He rushed over to Cain, but his fears proved unfounded.

"Horazon doubtless protected this portal with powerful wards." Cain informed him. "Besides that, it isn't natural, so it won't be affected by decay like everything else. We're safe here."

Nodding, Rashaban thought about what to do next. He hadn't planned that out.

As he was considering what had become of Lut Gohlein, Fara came up to him. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but how long are we going to be down here?"

Rashaban shrugged. "Eventually the mist will wear off. I don't know how long it will be. A week?", he guessed.

"Well, if it's going to be a week, we'll need food and water."

Rashaban shook his head. "_That_ I thought of. Remember how I told you not to look at the stars?"

Fara nodded. "It's already happened to several people, and I was wondering about it. Jehryn said you knew al about it though, so I kept my hands off."

Rashaban nodded understandingly. "This place has a security spell, that puts anyone who gazes at the stars in stasis. Any magic user can reverse the effect easily. Just put everyone under, and Cain, Drognan, or even you could easily take them out again."

Fara looked skeptical. "Is that really a good idea?"

Kara spoke up, "I was trapped in it, and when Rashaban let me out, I was fine. I guess Horazon wanted any would-be intruders alive."

"No need for food and water?", she asked, still unsure.

"None.", he replied. "Look for yourself, the spell has a special effect for starving captives."

Fara nodded, looking a bit more convinced, and went off to talk to Jehryn about it.

Kara turned back to Rashaban and said, "Aren't we forgetting something?"

Rashaban cocked his head with a blank look.

"Tal Rasha's Tomb. He won't be there anymore, but we might find something."

Rashaban nodded, and they carefully pushed their way through the crowd of milling civilians towards the waystone.

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At Duriel's demise, most of the demons in the valley had scattered, so they didn't have much trouble. Once they made it to his lair, the slime was already beginning to dry out. They both stayed to squash all the maggots they could find in his chamber, just in case. They found a few scattered bits of treasure in the slime, but nothing particularly important. When they went on to Tal Rasha's chamber, and it was, as they had expected, imposing but empty. No Tyrael here. They searched for any treasure, but simply found a very expansive, impressive looking room and some more bugs to squash.

They soon headed back.

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After about a week, Rashaban decided to go and check out the ruins of Lut Gohlein, along with Drognan and Cain. They used the waystone closest to the city, and as they approached, saw nothing.

"Do either of you feel anything?", he asked.

Both Drognan and Cain shook their heads.

"You're more attuned to these forces than we are. If anyone could feel it, it would be you." Drognan replied.

Rashaban nodded. "I suppose; I just wanted to be sure."

As they continued walking, Rashaban began to get suspicious. "Shouldn't we be there by now?"

"Indeed we should.", said Cain.

Rashaban began to get more suspicious when he saw the coast. "Maybe we took a wrong turn?"

Drognan shook his head. "We were going in the right direction. I saw landmarks, I'm sure of it."

When they reached the short cliff overlooking the sea, Rashaban was perplexed. The mountains looked right, but up and down the coastline, there was no sigh of Lut Gohlein.

"There must be some ruins somewhere…" he trialed off.

Drognan hit the sand around him a few times with his staff, and pulled something up from under it. He handed it to Rashaban.

At first, it just looked like a rock, but when Rashaban realized what it was, his face paled, and he almost dropped it.

It was a cobblestone.

As the realization sank in, Drognan walked up to him and patted him on the back. "Congratulations, good sir. You have just wiped an entire city from the face of the earth."

Even Cain couldn't help but chuckle at Rashaban's look.

Drognan shrugged. "I suppose you didn't manage to kill off the population, but other than that, you are _very_ thorough."

When they got back, Rashaban didn't want to meet anyone's gaze. Which was easy, because they were all under the hypnotic spell. They woke Jehryn up, and they escorted him out the portal and up the crumbled stairs. He had to break through some sand to reach the surface, and once he did, his expression at first was unreadable. Rashaban was considering backing away very slowly, and melting into the shadows underground to avoid Jehryn's wrath. He doubted Jehryn would be able to kill him, but he certainly deserved whatever punishment the prince might want to give.

After a long silence, Jehryn said, very softly, "I thank you, Necromancer."

Rashaban did a double take. He must have been hearing things. "I…don't think I quite understood you sir." he managed

Jehryn took a deep breath, and continued, "I could easily be looking at the ruins of my city, scattered with the dead bodies of the citizens I am sworn to protect, were it not for you." Here he turned to face Rashaban, "Solmo certainly did a better job of it, and managed to keep Duriel in his tomb. But, since you are obviously of inferior skill, and you could not have foreseen Duriel's escape in any case, I realize that you did the best you could."

Under any other circumstances, Rashaban would have taken serious offense at the comment about his inferior skill, but as it was, he held his tongue.

"I do not appreciate my city being destroyed, but you must realize something. A good leader knows what he is really protecting. Lut Gohlein is not made up of clay and marble; Lut Gohlein is made of those who live here. Back on that wall, before you gave any other orders, your first concern was for the people panicking below. You knew that they had to be out of the way before you could even think about fighting. You knew how to protect them, as well. That is why I am not angry in the least. You _did_ protect my city."

Here he smirked. "All this means is that our fair port has one more legend to add to its collection, and one more name. Lut Gohlein will now be forever known as 'The City of the Phoenix', for it shall rise from its ashes."

Rashaban nodded. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but it made sense.

Jehryn continued, "You also might find it worthy of note that I ordered Meshif to dock several miles away until called for. His ship was not destroyed; it is at your disposal."

Rashaban was shocked. "But, I caused all this destruction, the least I could do is stay and help with the reconstruction-"

"Nonsense." Jehryn cut him off. "I know what you did for the Rogues, but they needed the help. If you know anything about the people who live here, or in any city for that matter, you'll know that they don't give up on their way of life easily. This city will be rebuilt enough to continue inside of a month. In a year, it will be even more magnificent than before. I don't mean to sound ungrateful for the offer, but we can manage just fine. Besides, you have urgent matters to attend to, namely, Mephisto in Kurast. Don't worry, I'll keep Greiz around for a while, to make sure the leftover demons don't try anything smart, and by the time you come back this way, it will be like this never even happened."

Rashaban nodded slowly. "I'm…not quite sure what to say."

Jehryn pointed up the coast. "Meshif is docked about ten miles that way. Go and get Cain and Kara, and be on your way." Here he smirked. "It is my guess that some of my subjects won't see things quite the way I do. Some people have lost much, but it is in our nature to simply continue on. We will recover. And you have your own mission. Go with my blessing."

Rashaban bowed, then quickly ran back to get Kara and Cain, before Jehryn changed his mind. They covered the ten miles quickly, and Meshif was eager to be off. By nightfall, they could no longer see the shore.

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Afterward, amidst the chaos of rebuilding, Jehryn took a hint from the Rouges. Greiz was contracted to go out into the desert and scour the remaining demons from the sands, then escort Drognan and Lysander to each tomb, to embalm the dead and put them to rest, so they would not raise of their own accord. Drognan laid claim to the Arcane Sanctuary, completely commandeering all its magic from the long-deceased Horazon. Now, all of Lut Gohlein was under Jehryn's control. Almost as an afterthought, Geglash cleared out the sewers. A patrol of guards and clerics made regular rounds of the tombs. Now, even if the two heroes were to fail, demons would have a tough time regaining a foothold.

As word spread of Duriel's defeat, and the rapidly diminishing numbers of demons, more and more ships docked there. Warriv and Gheed did a pretty good business; the Rogues had plenty of wood with a forest suddenly cleared of demons, and Gheed had a few wagons full of supplies; both of which Lut Gohlein needed badly. And fortunately, the bulk of Jehryn's treasure had been hidden in a deep vault within the basement with a think iron door. The door was completely rusted through from the effects of the decay, but the treasure had survived, and the prince put it to good use rebuilding his city.

It took three months to build most of the houses back up, five for Atma's and Elzix's inn (they simply decided to run one jointly, much cheaper than rebuilding two), and Atma had her baby. Jehryn's grand palace eventually took two years to finish, but it dwarfed the original. And, all was again well with Lut Gohlein, the City of the Phoenix. Once again, it was a city such as the tales of the desert had spoken of.

**A/N Ok, There's Act II! This one was quite bit shorter, not becuase I don't like Lut Gohlein, but the characters just didn't jump out at me as much as the Rogues did. Also, half the quests are just 'scour the sands for a random artifact', and that's not very cool. (Not really an excuse, because other people do fine with the desert lol.) I just didn't get as many ideas for this one. Act III is a little longer, but mostly because...well, you'll see. **


	40. A Nice Relaxing Arrival

Meshif said it would take a week for them to finish the trip across the sea. They entertained themselves by listening to Meshif's stories, and telling him some of their own; there was only so much practicing to be done on a ship. Mercifully, the voyage was free of seasickness and storms, and within 8 days they were within sight of Kurast. Meshif had not wanted to return, fearing he would find no one manning the docks. However, when they were perhaps a mile out, they saw a flash of light shoot up from somewhere in the jungle, brilliant against the overcast sky.

"What's that?", they both asked, though Cain was silent.

Meshif got an odd look on his face, then ran to raise a flag on the mast.

"That," he replied, "Means you have some work to do."

After it was clear that Meshif wasn't going to speak further on the subject, Rashaban remarked, "You know, you could try and be _more_ vague."

"Yeah, what's going on?" Kara piped up.

"Someone's in trouble. That's a signal the Iron Wolves send up when they're about to be overwhelmed." Here he pulled even harder on the rope. "This, -ugh- flag here, will –agh- hold the search party until –arg- there! until we arrive."

"Why not just let them go?", Rashaban asked.

"Because the Iron Wolves know what they're doing. They're far more powerful than that rabble in the jungle, and they know when to run if they're too outnumbered. If I'm right, a Council Member is involved."

"A Council Member?", they both asked.

"You remember what I told you about Travincal and Mephisto?"

They both nodded. "Oh…_those_ Council Members." Rashaban said dryly.

"They are the only ones powerful enough to block a town portal scroll. And, chances are, that's why the Iron Wolves are in trouble."

Meshif grabbed the rigging, and the ship picked up speed. "We've got to hurry."

As they approached the rotting wooden dock, an extremely well built and scantily clad woman was waiting for them. Even before they reached the dock, she shouted, "Well, well, well, if it isn't Meshif and his leaky boat. I already sent out part of the rescue. What did you hold me up for?"

Meshif, apparently used to both her shouts and her appearance, simply replied, "These two would like to come along."

Asheara barely spared them a glance before saying, "Well, if I waited for them this long, I may as well take them. Get that tub of yours over here." As they disembarked, Kara asked, "Where can I get some arrows and jav-"

Asheara cut her off, "We've wasted enough time as it is. Are you coming or not?"

Kara glanced ruefully at her bow and buckler, and instead grabbed her gemmed trident. "All right, then. Let's go."

They dashed through the middle of town, Iron Wolves joining them as they went. They ran over rotting catwalks, over a rough stone bridge, and out into the jungle. Rashaban barely had time to notice what the place looked like, but he knew that this was the only shelter left to the survivors and that the city itself was overrun. He only noticed that there were hundreds of people crammed onto the disintegrating catwalks of what used to be a port. These people had not been so lucky as those in Lut Gohlein.

Once they were well into the jungle, Rashaban noticed that had simply grabbed all of his gear, forgetting that he had no crossbow bolts. The crossbow was heavy along with his whole pack, but there was no way they were going back now. Suddenly a flash of light broke into the sky, followed quickly by another coming for the same spot.

"Is that them?", Rashaban asked, trying to get some grip on the situation.

"Send up the signal again!" Asheara called back, ignoring him. "Now!"

One of the Iron Wolves crossed his sword over his shield, up towards the sky, and a lightning bolt lanced up that could be seen for miles around.

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Sara cursed as she and Cor ran through a hail of darts. They weren't going to make it at this rate. She paused and pointed her staff at the surrounding trees, but Cor yelled from behind her, "Forget them! Just keep moving! Keep your shield up!"

Sara didn't even stop to nod back at him, before pulling her magical shield back together again and running on. She had sent the signal up a good fifteen minutes ago, and had received no answer. 'Where _are_ they?', she yelled in her head, frantic as darts continued to sizzle against her shield. Cor was taking the hits in stride, but she knew it was hurting him far more than he let on, and his wound was just opening more. She ducked aside into thicker trees, with Cor right on her heels. She knew they couldn't take the main trails, they would have been blocked off by now. She just knew the general direction of the docks, and that they had to keep running. They had run out of stamina potions, and her lungs were burning; she hadn't trained enough for this…

Cor felt his wound open all the more as he kept running, but there was no way he could stop. The Council Member was on their tail, and he knew they could not stand against it. He heard thunder, and Sara glanced up, looking to the right. "Hurry, this wa-!" she yelled as she ran, tripped on a rock for watching the sky, and smashed her head on another. Without breaking stride, Cor scooped her up in his arms and kept running. He hadn't seen exactly where it came from, but he had heard it. 'All have to do is keep running,' he told himself. He dodged a tree. 'We'll find the Wolves.' Sara was light in his arms, but it wasn't helping his wound any to keep carrying her. 'Keep running.' A dart stuck in his leg, but he had taken the antidote for the poison. 'Keep it up. Not much farther. Not much farther…'

He was right. He soon saw a clearing ahead, and what looked like human figures. As he burst through the trees, he saw four Iron Wolves alternately shooting at the damnable midgets and searching the sky. "Run!" Cor shouted as he burst into the clearing. "Council Member!"

The leader cracked smile. "Well, I was beginning to get worried."

"There's no time, Asheed! We need to get out of here now!"

Asheed shook his head. "Asheara will be here soon. We can kill it together. I get tired of killing these fetishes."

Sara was beginning to recover. Cor set her down gently, and marched over to Asheed. He was hoping that seven feet of Barbarian would get him to change his mind.

"Listen, if we stay, we'll lose troops. It won't do any good to kill him; Mephisto will just bring him back. Now let's get to the docks before somebody dies out here."

Sara chimed in, "You don't understand-" Seeing from the look on Asheed's face that she was getting nowhere, she rose to her feet, a bit wobbly, raised her staff, and sent up another signal. She saw the return flash; it was close. Maybe, just maybe, they would be able to pull this off, with enough Iron Wolves.

Cor went back over to Sara. "Are you going to be ok?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, just a knock on the head." She looked towards her crudely bandaged wrists as she approached the Iron Wolves. "And these. Got any potions, Asheed?"

"For you, only ten gold," he said sarcastically as he tossed her a sash full of red bottles.

She went back over to Cor, who was kneeling on the ground. He was in worse shape than before. She sat and handed him a potion, and he gulped it down quickly. She coughed as the burning in her lungs started to subside, and sat down next to him. "That was close…", she whispered.

He scanned the forest. The midgets in the immediate area were gone, but he knew they would be back soon, with a Council Member and shamans.

"I should have been on guard," he whispered to nobody in particular. "If I had been paying attention, this wouldn't have happened. Sara looked at the deep gash in his side; the potion seemed to have little effect.

"What were you supposed to do?", she asked. "He jumped out of nowhere, just as we had found the Ginbinn. Speaking of which…" She reached over and pulled the dagger out from Cor's sheath, "We got this, so, wound or no, this mission is a victory."

"Don't say that until we're back at the docks."

Sara nodded, and replaced the dagger.

"Well, do we stay here and wait for the cavalry, or-"

She was cut off by a roar from the jungle.

Both of them were instantly on their feet. "We should run." Sara finished her sentence.

Asheed drew himself into a spell casting stance, along with the rest. "You run if you want. This thing's mine."

Sara made to do just that, but Cor stopped her, with a hand on her shoulder. He jerked his head over to the Wolves. "They're dead if we run."

"They're dead if we don't! We can't win! Let's just go! We have to get the Ginbinn back to Ormus!"

They heard it crashing through the trees towards them.

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Sara slipped through the trees just ahead of Cor, to see the distorted form of the Council Member crash through into the clearing. The Iron Wolves instantly struck with a barrage of spells, and then they were lost from sight in the undergrowth as she put distance between them.

They ran towards the source of Asheara's signal, but stopped dead after barely a minute. They had burst through the trees onto a riverbank. Dead end. They heard the shouts and screams of Asheed and his men, and knew they wouldn't last long.

"Let's follow the river," Sara prompted. "Quick. We can still make a break for it."

Cor shook his head. "He'll be sending his minions to block the bridges right now. He wants us for himself."

Cor turned towards the trees, and drew out his sword and axe.

Desperately, knowing that it was wasting her power, Sara thrust her staff towards the sky and sent up another bolt. Asheara was their only chance at coming out of this alive.

Rashaban saw the flash along with the others. They were only moments away. So close, they didn't even bother with a return signal. As they ran though, the undergrowth around them began to move. The Iron Wolves cursed, and drew themselves into a circle.

"Now what?", whispered one to Asheara through clenched teeth.

Asheara snorted. "Now we treat them like the vermin they are." She glanced over her force. "You five, stay behind and deal with this lot. The rest of you, come with me. We're not leaving anyone behind." She seemed to have forgotten about Kara and Rashaban, so they just shrugged and slunk after her.

The moment they split up, the trees around them erupted with darts. The Iron Wolves merely raised their shields and waded through the hail. Rashaban cursed and raised his bone armor. Kara, however, was caught off guard. She had been sensing the demons hiding in the underbrush, but didn't think they'd shoot. She was almost hit a few times before she got her bearings, then she seemed to be everywhere at once, walking through the hail as she had done so many times before.

"This way!", Asheara yelled. "Move it!"

The ran after her, and soon, they were looking across a river bank at a Barbarian and a Sorceress, both of whom were in bad shape. "Hey!" yelled Asheara. "Over here!"

"Hey! Over here!" Sara was shocked to hear Asheara's voice. They _had_ made it in time! But, they were on the wrong side of the river. There was no way they could swim that distance with the Water Stalkers infesting it, and they all knew it.

"I hope you have a plan to get over here!" Sara yelled back.

Cor shook his head. "So much for our rescue."


	41. A Bloody Escape

Asheara cursed. There was no way they could swim over, and all the bridges were too far away, and surely blocked with fetishes to boot.

"All right Wolves!" she shouted. "We can't get over there, but that thing is going to come any minute. You four, cover the forest. Make sure we aren't interrupted. The rest, take up positions. We'll need to shoot it as much as we can before it reaches them."

"What about us?" asked Rashaban. He was a bit put off that Asheara had just ignored them, but he knew that they were the newcomers, and so he kept his tone level.

Asheara looked as though she had forgotten their existence. "I don't know, what do you do, Necromancer? Whatever it is, just don't get in the way. Unless you can magic up a boat, that is." With that, she turned away.

Rashaban took a deep breath, and kept his cool. Kara shot her a venomous look, but said nothing. They heard some trees cracking on the other side of the river, and both looked back.

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Cor knew they couldn't win. There was half a chance one of the Wolves on the other side would get off a lucky shot to the head, but not likely. In any case, he wasn't about to give up now. "Get behind me," he grunted to Sara. This could very well be his last battle. But, he was used to that thought. He saw the trees rustling, and steeled himself for what was to come.

"Positions!" Asheara yelled once more. The twenty or so wolves scattered across the riverbank each quickly took up a stance, utterly focused on the rustling trees. They ignored the scattered fighting coming from the woods behind them. "On my mark…"

Rashaban glanced at Kara. "Why aren't you up there?"

Kara looked down helplessly at the trident in her hands.

"Oh, right.", he replied. He was feeling rather useless as well. He had devoted his efforts to things other than his Teeth spell, so it was next to useless, especially at this range. He could cast a curse, but with no teeth, no bodies on the other side, and no crossbow bolts, that was about it. He was saving his golem as a card up his sleeve.

'There's the Blood Golem…' he thought to himself.

'NO!' he snapped back. 'I won't use that thing again!'

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The Council Member stepped ominously out of the trees, searching for its prey. It had once been human, but now its features were distorted into a grotesque monstrosity. Its skin tone was now that of sludge; its flesh seeming to ooze off in some places, before coalescing again into wicked, randomly placed spikes. It was gauntly thin in the arms and legs, but the torso was bloated. Its red, glowing eyes rested under a brow piled with masses of flesh, almost completely obscuring its vision. It held a spiked whip in one hand and a cleaver-like sword in the other. Worst of all, it looked to be only slightly wounded by the past two encounters. Rashaban noticed all this in the instant before Asheara yelled, "Now!"

The Iron Wolves reacted as one, and the monster was instantly engulfed in fire, ice, and lightning. Rashaban quickly snapped off a curse, and the spells ate away at the fiend even more effectively. Once the spells were cast, Asheara barely let the aftereffects die down before she ordered a second volley. However, the creature was quick to move, as well. They only got one more volley off before it reached its targets.

Cor saw the creature stumble under the spells, but knew it wasn't enough. "Save it", he shot back to Sara, as he saw her about help. "They won't be able to fire as soon as it reaches us.

"Then we should _run_." she insisted.

"And turn my back on that thing again?" Cor snorted. "Not likely."

Then, it was upon them.

Cor rushed in, his axe held to block, his sword held low to attack. The creature lashed out with its whip, and Cor moved his axe to block…and immediately saw the ruse. He tried to correct it, but it was too late. The thing had aimed not for him, but for his exposed sword arm. It entwined perfectly around his wrist. Before Cor could bring his axe around to sever the whip, the creature pulled, throwing him off balance. That crucial instant was all it needed to bring its sword up and sever Cor's sword arm at the elbow.

As Cor fell back, Sara shoved her revulsion aside and struck the creature dead on with fire. It had little effect. Cursing, she raised a shield around them both and cut loose an ice bolt. That seemed to slow it enough, as Cor dragged himself away. As soon as Cor dragged himself away from the frozen monstrosity, the Iron Wolves distracted it with another volley, and she knelt next to him. It didn't look good, but now wasn't the time to worry about it. She quickly cauterized his wound with a fire spell and hurriedly handed him a potion. As strong as he was, he had never lost a limb before. Sara glanced back; the creature had recovered from the Iron Wolves' latest attack, and was headed back in for the kill.

Cor got shakily to his feet, and brought up the ax he had somehow managed to hang on to. He coughed, and muttered, "Won't fall for that again". Most men would have passed out from shock, but the Barbarians were not so easy to stop. Sara backed away, pointed her staff, and another bolt of ice hit dead on, but she felt her energy beginning to drain away. She hurriedly reached for another mana potion, but found none. She grimaced. If the Iron Wolves didn't do something soon…

Cor still felt the loss of his arm, but he had learned to deal with pain long ago, and his battle instincts shoved even this aside. 'At least I still have my right hand.', he thought to himself. He knew he was outclassed, but his opponent _had_ taken quite a beating from the Wolves. That just might give him the edge. He knew it still wasn't enough, but he could hope.

It drew back its whip to strike; …and found it stuck. Cor's gaze flashed behind his opponent, and he saw some sort of rock monster, grabbing hold of the whip. Its feet were rooted to the ground, and despite the Council Member's strength, the new arrival wasn't going anywhere. Cor didn't even stop to wonder what it was or why it had appeared. He simply saw his opponent turn to deal with it, and took his chance.

Rashaban watched from across the river, hoping that this would be enough. His timing was perfect. The creature hadn't even noticed the golem come up, and he caught the whip easily, his golem's arm simply melting around the spiked sinew before solidifying again. He saw the demon turn, and the Barbarian leapt forward, his axe cracking the thing's rock hard skin, and sinking in deeper than it should have thanks to the curse Rashaban had cast. Black blood began to ooze from the wound, and the Council Member swung back to face the Barbarian. "Lose the whip, or come to me," Rashaban whispered, and used the distraction to almost pull the whip from the Council Member's hand. Enraged, the Council Member turned back to the golem, and swung its sword. It cost the horror another free attack by the Barbarian, but Rashaban's golem was sliced cleanly in two.

Rashaban cursed. Not strong enough. He sighed. He had only used the Blood Golem once or twice in Lut Gohlein, always wishing he hadn't. He really didn't want to use it now. He_ really, really _didn't. He thought of all the wounds it had given him last time, and that was when he had dispelled it quickly. But, the clay golem was too weak, and he had to do something, or they were going to die for sure. He glanced across the river, and slowly shook his head in an internal battle.

'I won't do that to myself-'

'I don't want to hear it! Are you really going to sit here and do nothing?!'

'Do you have _any_ idea what will happen?!'

'Do you have any idea what kind of a man would sit and watch them die?'

'Forgive me for hating the idea of tearing myself to shreds!'

'You have the power to save them. If you don't use it, you will be a murderer. I know the consequences full well, and they will heal, but you can't wash the blood off your hands if you don't do something NOW!"

Grimacing to himself, he concentrated.

'This will _not_ feel good…'

'I imagine it will feel better once you know they are alive, thanks to you.'

Ending his internal debate, he opened himself, preparing to link his very essence to the most powerful creation he had. The lost arm would suffice…

Kara felt helpless just standing there, watching as Rashaban's stone golem was torn apart. There had to be something she could do. But, with no bow, and no arrows… It all came together in a flash. She had learned the skill, but always thought it useless… why hadn't she thought of it before! She ran up to Rashaban and grabbed the Ichorsting Crossbow from his back. As she ran up to the riverbank, she heard him call after her, "What are you _doing_?! There's no _bolts_!" Ignoring him, she dropped to one knee at the edge, ignoring the looks the Wolves were giving her, and sighted. At the moment, there was plenty of distance between the creature and the Barbarian. As she drew back the string, a shaft of light grew from the tip of the bow to her fingers. Paying no heed to the gasps of the Wolves in her absolute concentration, she felt the powers of the bow infuse her magic bolt, and she aimed carefully before pulling the trigger. As the bolt flew across the river, she could almost hear it howling for a strike.

Cor backed away, his legs shaking once again with the loss of so much blood. Whatever that rock monster had been, it had allowed him two solid strikes. One to the back, and one to the leg. They had both seemed to do more damage that they should have, but he certainly wasn't worried about that. The creature still had its whip, and was still too much for him to handle, missing an arm and all. He shifted his stance, ready for the whip. Out of nowhere, a shaft of light struck the thing, dead-on in the head. It was what he had needed from the Wolves all along. 'Lucky shot!', was the only thought that rang through his mind. The monstrosity roared, completely distracted, and Cor leapt towards it, his axe crashing down on its flailing arm. The hand and the whip fell.

Backing away once more, he grunted to himself, "How'd _you_ like that?" The beast quickly closed the distance, and Cor knew that there would be no more magic shafts of light. He blocked a downward sword swing with his axe, but the force crumbled his weakened legs and brought him to the ground. Before he could react, the monster was upon him. He tried to roll but it was too late. His axe came up in a futile attempt to block, but he knew it was too slow.

There was a shimmer in the air, and Sara stood over him, her staff held over her head. The force of the blow made her legs buckle and her wrists shriek in agony, but her staff held. The creature roared in confusion and rage at this sudden appearance, and a second blow came crashing down, making her staff splinter, her bandaged arms falter, and bringing her to her knees. She glanced over at Cor.

"You were supposed to use that spell to get away." was the message in his eyes.

"Not a chance." flashed in hers'. Sara brought up a magic shield over them both, but it was the last of her power, and she knew it wouldn't do much good. "If you're going to do anything, do it now!" she yelled across the river.

Asheara knew it was either wait for them to be killed, of take their chances in a magical crossfire. "Fire on my-"

"Belay that." Rashaban's voice rang out clearly, slicing across her frantic order. "A moment."

Asheara was stunned at his sheer audacity for a moment, and was about to order them to fire on _him_, but she was cut off by the sight across the river.

Sara put all her focus on the shield. The Wolves would shoot now; hopefully it would hold against the friendly fire. But, instead of magical blasts, she heard nothing but a sinister hiss. A sound their foe had not yet made. She and Cor glanced up, and saw something almost as hideous as their attacker.

It stood seven feet tall, a mountain of a man. Or, what a man would look like if stripped of all skin. Blood dripped from the entire creature, bones were exposed everywhere, and they could see the muscles move. The face was a skull half clad in flesh, which bore a horrific grin. It hissed maliciously as it lumbered towards them. Losing interest in its already defeated prey, the Council Member turned to face this latest threat. A sickly yellowing haze seemed to surround the demon for a moment, and Sara could have sworn its grip weakened on its sword. The two monstrosities faced each other for a moment, almost as if sizing each other up. Then, both swung with a vengeance.

The sword came down, but both arms were crossed to block it. Apparently, this thing felt no pain as the sword cut deep into the arm muscles. The new arrival simply turned the sword aside with one arm and struck a solid blow to the Council Member's head with the other one. Then, something gut wrenching happened. In the midst of the combat, the bloody fiend turned its head turned towards them, and, in a hollow voice, it said, "Sorry about the arm. Hope you don't mind." With that, it deflected the next sword strike bare handed, and stuck the Council Member solidly with the other fist.

Sara suddenly realized what was going on and whispered, "They've got a Necromancer. He's raising those things. As soon as this one gets it far enough away, they'll all fire. Keep your head down; my shield won't hold. Cor nodded and lay flat. Before she did the same, she saw, out of the corner of her eye, the golem land another solid hit. Then, the aura around the Council Member shifted to red, and her head went to the ground.

Asheara was torn between being impressed with the Necromancer and wanting to kill him for countermanding her orders. He seemed to be flinching with each hit his golem took, but whatever he had made was fighting on even ground with a Council Member. Even a wounded one, and that was quite a feat. "Get it farther away.", she told him.

He nodded. "I will. I just need to get more damage out of -" One of his arms twitched as his golem blocked a hit.

"More…"she prodded. The fight dragged on, and Asheara was tempted to go for a bridge while the demon was distracted. Then, the Council Member found an opening, and lashed out with its sword. The golem's head fell. The Necromancer coughed, and a thin red line appeared around his throat. He held up a hand, to delay the firing once again, and the golem rushed in, heedless of the sword strikes, grabbed the monster, and hefted it high into the air. A perfect, immobile target. The Necromancer seemed to steel himself, then said, very softly, "Now. He's weak enough. Take him down."

"Fire!"

The howling Council Member and the golem were both enveloped in magical blasts. Asheara heard his cry before she saw the Necromancer grab his chest and fall to his knees. The Amazon turned to help, but she ordered, "Keep firing!" The Necromancer weakly waved her away. Reluctantly, the Amazon took up her position once more.

"Keep it UP!" She yelled. "I don't want anything left of it!"

When the dust and magical residue cleared, she had her wish. The Council Member had been slain.

Asheara didn't miss a beat. "MOVE! It was holding the blockades, now they'll be disorganized! We need to move NOW! GO!" The Iron Wolves were gone in a flash, running towards the nearest bridge. Kara quickly ran over and knelt by Rashaban. "Are you going to be okay?"

Rashaban was dazed for a moment, then looked at her weakly. "Did they live?"

Kara looked across the river, and saw them locked in an embrace, on their feet. She sighed with relief. "Of course they did."

Rashaban suddenly coughed blood and fell on his face, his arms unable to stop his fall.

"Rashaban!" She rolled him onto his back, pulled up his sleeves, and saw that his arms were covered with deep, bleeding slashes he had not received.

"Well, then." The voice was barely a hoarse whisper. "I shall have to ask you to carry me b-" The last bit of his sentence was cut off by another cough that racked his body and brought blood to his mouth.

She sat him up so he wouldn't choke. He looked her in the eye, and she knew that he was going to make it. Another hacking cough. "It is so embarrassing," he managed, along with a smile, "Always being saved by a woman."

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Asheara was worried that the damn midgets would still be holding the bridge, but once they arrived, and showed their force, their enemies broke and ran as one. They reached Cor and Sara without further incident. They were both locked in an embrace. 'Well,' Asheara thought, 'they _have_ just escaped certain death.'

"Well,? Was it worth it to come out here and save your hides?", she growled at them jokingly.

They disentangled themselves, then Cor fell to his knees, utterly spent, and still losing blood. Sara knelt and drew something from Cor's sheath, and tossed it to Asheara before reaching for a portal scroll. "I think it was worth your while."

"The Gidbinn." Asheara smirked, pleased. "Alright, let's get out of here."

She thought of the newcomers only after she had stepped through onto the dockside.

Kara shook her head and snickered at his humor. "It's embarrassing to have a partner so weak he always needs saving." she joked back, and she saw the slightest bit of a smile on his face before he slipped into unconsciousness. She saw the Iron Wolves open Town Portals across the river, and made to do the same. Only then was there a sinking feeling in her stomach. She had lefts hers on the boat, along with her bow. She called across the river, but they had already vanished. She hurriedly rummaged through Rashaban's pack, and found some. However, for some reason, the sinking feeling would not leave. As she opened one, she suddenly found out why. These were scrolls for _Lut Gohlein_. Assuming they even worked, they would be stuck another two weeks while Meshif got them back. She threw it back in frustration. 'NOW what do I do?!'


	42. Camping!

Kara shook her head. She hadn't counted on _this_. She looked down at Rashaban, and knew that he wasn't going anywhere for a while. She tried to bind his wounds as much as she could, but he had already lost far too much blood. Shrugging, she sat down and waited. The sun was setting, and she knew they had to start moving, but she also knew that he had to recover. She eyed the forest cautiously for about an hour or so until Rashaban woke up.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

He weakly propped himself up on his elbows, and replied, "I'd feel a lot better if I knew why we're still out here."

Kara, sighed, and got right to the point. "Well, since Asheara rushed us off into the jungle, we didn't pick up new town portal scrolls."

Rashaban had a blank look for a few moments until it finally caught up with him.

"Oh, no…ours are still for Lut Gohlein."

Kara nodded, unsmiling. "You guessed it."

At his 'you've got to be kidding me' expression, she nodded with a disappointed look on her face. "I'm afraid we're in for a walk. Can you get something to carry you?"

Rashaban looked; the sun was already low in the sky.

He closed his eyes, and tried it. Nothing happened, except that he looked very sick his arms gave out again, and he smacked his head on the ground. "It seems-" Here he coughed blood again, "My magic powers are in about the same shape as my body."

Kara winced and shook her head, looking worried. "You don't look like you're in any shape to be carried, anyway. Should I throw together a sled or a stretcher or something? We'll lose the sun in under an hour."

Rashaban weakly groaned, "Can you hold off attacks _and_ drag me back at the same time?"

Kara shook her head.

"Well, now what?", he replied. Rashaban could tell she was getting agitated by the setting sun, and it was getting to be contagious.

"Now, we make camp." she stated firmly, but in a tone that made it clear she didn't relish the thought. Suddenly, and idea sprang to mind. She looked around suspiciously, but her Inner Sight showed her nothing at the moment. The death of the Council Member had driven off anything that the Iron Wolves hadn't killed.

"Stay here a minute." she whispered, "I'll be right back."

She ran as fast as she could for the bridge, and found the dead Council Member. Cutting off its head, she swiftly returned to her wounded companion.

Spotting it, Rashaban asked, "What's that going to do?"

Kara smiled evilly. "A little trick my village learned from some Barbarians." She rooted around in the nearby plants for some dead fetishes, then stuck her trident in the ground, impaling the Council Member's head on the central spike, and two fetishes on the side ones.

Rashaban looked confused. "Won't that j-" he was cut off by another bloody cough.

Kara rushed over to him, propping him back up. Once he recovered, she said, "It scares them off. Trust me, we used it in my village, and it worked. Some of us thought it would just make them mad, but it really just makes them realize we're not to be challenged. It should keep any big raids away."

Rashaban nodded weakly. "Do we have any potions?" Kara hadn't taken any, but she rummaged in his pack.

"I'm sure glad you just grabbed your whole pack," she said lightly. Then, her voice fell. "Only one left. Here."

Rashaban gulped it eagerly, but she knew he was still in no shape to move, even after the potion.

Looking around, she saw that the fear totem was making them about as secure as they were going to get. She slowly turned back to Rashaban, and, with a last, suspicious glance at the jungle, she knelt next to him, and finally asked what had been burning at her mind. "What _was_ that thing? What did you do?!"

Rashaban slowly answered, "It's called a Blood Golem. (cough) I never use that spell, because it links you directly (cough) to it. It's very powerful, and whenever (cough) you land a solid hit, it drains a bit of your opponent's life and gives it to you. But, you also take whatever damage it takes because of the (cough) link. It's too big a risk, so I never use it."

He looked himself over. Kara was about to ask something, but saw he was rambling and let him continue. "This is why. My (cough) arms are torn to shreds, I have cuts all over, and when that (cough) damn thing cut off my golem's head, I felt like I was going to die. When the Wolves blasted it apart, it gave me (cough) wounds under the skin." He looked at her pathetically. "You have no idea how much it hurts. Pain (cough) everywhere. I just want to (cough) sleep."

Kara nodded, and said, "I'll make a fire. You just rest. I've got everything taken care of."

She put her hand on his head, and softly whispered, "_Sleep_."

His mind in utter turmoil, pains both dull and sharp stabbing through his entire body, and the single potion barley enough, Rashaban was feeling very nauseous, and his head was spinning. Ranting about his Blood Golem had helped focus his mind, but now that he had run out of rant, he was quickly fading again. When Kara said 'I'll take care of everything.', he let himself go, trusting her completely.

When she put her hand on his head, emotions he had never let to the surface bubbled up. In his condition, it was too much for him, and he fainted at her touch. Her whisper was the last thing he heard as he dropped into a deep, dreamless sleep, the light of the sunset shining on her face the last thing he saw.

Kara smiled softly as he left the waking world. It was good that he was asleep. She didn't want to stay here any longer than they had to, and Rashaban would need all his strength. She glanced up towards the setting sun, and noticed that Kurast had beautiful sunsets.

A very small, soft spoken part of her mind murmured, "Too bad he fell asleep for it."

As she silently got up and went to gather wood for a fire, a single question would not leave her mind.

She recalled Rashaban's entire little speech, how he hated using the spell, even though it was likely the most powerful one he had. It was true, she remembered him mentioning it once in Lut Gohlein, long before they had fought Duriel. He certainly hadn't used it against the snakes. If he had used that spell in their battle with Duriel… she didn't quite know its limits, but it had kept fighting even after losing its head, and she was sure they would have been able to take him out with that thing's considerable power. Then, of course, more of Greiz's men would have died in the melee, and his overloading strategy had done the job with only one life lost, but it still went to show that Rashaban had never used the spell, even in the most dire of circumstances. He was deathly afraid of its side effects; and he was probably hoping never to put it to use.

"But, you just did." Kara said softly. When his own life was in danger, he weaseled out of it, or pulled out some slick trick. But, when two other lives were in danger, and he had run out of options, he had risked a lot to save them.

She finished finding enough dry sticks, and as she stood up and turned back towards his sleeping form, her mind flashed back to the top of Lut Gohlein's battlements. Both of them had lost it for a minute, when they realized that an entire city might die because of their carelessness. But, once they pulled each other together, Rashaban had simply eliminated the problem of mass slaughter by sending the civilians away, and had just proceeded with his plan as if nothing had happened. She smirked. Same old Rashaban.

She lit the fire, close to him, and settled in for the watch, still thinking.

But, the battle with Duriel _was_ the same old Rashaban, the one she had always known. A few hours ago, he had used the spell most dangerous to himself to save two people that he hadn't even met before. The Iron Wolves hadn't even cared-it still made Kara's blood boil to think of how Asheara had treated them- and Rashaban had nothing to do with either of them or the monster. Anyone else-like Asheara, that-agh!- anyone else would have just tried to help, and then shrugged their shoulders if they failed.

She looked over at him again, still a bit puzzled.

He never let things get out of hand, he always tried to keep his cool and keep the situation where he wanted it. But, he had let the situation go out of his control to save strangers. It was a side of him that she had never seen before. She saw that he was breathing heavily, in a deep sleep. His face looked far older than it actually was, due to the rigors of his craft and the magical strains placed on his body. He had told Akara that he was twenty four years old, and though his build said that, his face looked more like fifty.

Perhaps it was a trick of the firelight, but his face looked far younger now. It was still his face, of course, but for some reason, the unnatural years seemed to have drained away, and she thought she caught a glimpse of what his face really looked like. It almost looked cu- He shifted in his sleep, and the illusion seemed to vanish. She caught the thin red line around his neck, and was forcefully reminded of what he had just done.

She shook her head slowly. For all his bluster, careless attitude, and sarcasm, he really had what it took when it came down to it. She snickered; Greiz or Kayasha would have called his rescue a fool move that was going to get him killed. "And, it would have, if I hadn't been there.", she said to herself.

She raised an eyebrow at that thought. Stopping to think for a second, she barely suppressed a laugh.

'_How many _times have I saved him? Let's see…the Smith, and now…that's two…and then there's Andariel, but I don't know if that really counts, but count it anyway, so that's three.'

'He's saved me once, from the stars…and…that's it. just once, from some silly magic trap.'

She looked at him, and smiled. 'What a useless partner, I swear-' she stopped, in mid thought, and shuddered. The forest…the test he had given her. There _was_ another time he had saved her. She looked back at him, in a different way, all amusement gone from her eyes. She hadn't thought about that in a long time, and she wasn't about to start now. All the same, his reasons came flying back into her mind, unbidden

"_I did it to make you show your true colors."_

_Kara didn't have anything to say, so Rashaban continued, "And you did. If you had been some mercenary, caring only for your own skin, you would have run off, and left me to die. You may have started out that way, but you've changed. Don't take my word for it, just look at how you reacted. In that test, you overcame that attitude, and you were honestly ready to die for your cause, and to save others. That is the mark of a real warrior. I'm sorry I put you through that, but I just had to know. I had to know if I could trust you to fight by my side when we face Andariel." _

_Kara looked at the ground. _

"_You're not a fake.", was all Rashaban said._

Kara shook her head angrily to clear it of those thoughts. She did not like admitting to herself that she had started this quest as just a…never mind.

But, she supposed that Rashaban _had_ saved her then…

'He's always there,' she thought. 'Ever since I started this whole thing, he's always been there.'

Gazing at his face once more, trying to catch that trick of the light again, she thought there might be more to him than what he let on. 'Maybe once this is over, I should find out,' she thought to herself. 'He certainly showed _his_ true colors today.'

Hearing some rustling in the bushes, she swiftly got up to check on it.

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Kara's sudden motion woke Rashaban into an extremely groggy half-sleep. Normally, he would have been up instantly, but with his many, many wounds, he simply stayed where he was, unable to focus his mind on anything. His thoughts drifted aimlessly, always sinking back down lower towards sleep, but some instinct would not allow him to shut off completely until Kara was back. He knew he wouldn't be able to manage anything if he was attacked anyway, but he would at least be able to shout for help. He just had to know his guard was back before drifting off.

'My guard?' he asked himself groggily, his mind flowing like sludge in its desire to sleep again. 'I have a guard?'

'Kara', he answered is own question simply.

'Oh.'

His thoughts meandered to nowhere in particular, always a constant struggle between his body needing to return to sleep, and his instincts telling him to stay awake until she was back.

After what seemed like an eternity of wading through half-dreams, Rashaban heard footsteps at his side, and sleepily cracked one eye. It was her. At the sight, his instincts turned off, and he began to drift back to sleep, but another part took thier place. He found himself yanked from sleep by a quite different part of his mind, one that was using his half-cracked eye to covertly examine his companion in a less-than acceptable way. He shut his eye tightly with a groan. Ever since the Rouges had set up their little 'accommodations' he had always been bothered by these thoughts, and he always squelched them as soon as they showed up. They were on a serious mission, and no matter how beautiful and smart she was, or how many times she had saved him, no matter how much her personality alone charmed him, no matter how much he wished, he could not allow those feelings to get in the way.

But, he didn't even think about any of those circumstances or reasons; he was still ready to sleep, and the reaction was just reflexive by this point. As he had done many a time before, he squelched the feeling with a sharp jab and a slight pang of regret.

"Listen you drooling idiot." he snapped at himself, or would have snapped if he had been more awake, is it was, it came out as sort of a syrupy admonition. "I don't have time for this."

He heard a snicker, and a soft voice, "What _are_ you dreaming about?"

Rashaban inwardly cursed himself. He was so caught up in trying to sleep, he had said his reflexive thought out loud, albeit a bit slurred. He was so bleary, he opened his eyes, and was actually about to respond, but he caught himself just in time, and just lay there, staring at the sky. Trying to push the thoughts of Kara from his mind, he happened to see a shooting star, just as he closed his eyes.

"Ihye…whish…" he slurred.

Kara looked back towards him reflexively, but said nothing, merely letting a soft snicker escape her lips at her delirious comrade.

Sighing inwardly at his own sincere wish, but knowing the stupidity of wishing on a star, he finally slipped back into sleep, Kara's quiet laugh still ringing in his ears.

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In the morning, Kara let him sleep for as long as she could. She noticed that her fear totem was falling apart, and wouldn't last forever. When she did wake him, she thought there was a funny look in his eyes when he woke up and saw her, but she brushed it off as the pain.

Rashaban wordlessly tried for the golem again, and this time it worked; his familiar clay servant picked him up effortlessly, and they started back.

"Do you know the way?" Rashaban managed through a hoarse, wounded throat.

"Well enough." she replied.

After an afternoon of wandering and a few small fights, they found the main trail. They encountered no large groups this close to the docks, and Kara had little trouble with what they did run into. They reached the docks just as the sun was setting.


	43. Back At The Docks

Neither of them was very happy as they stalked past the magical barrier.

Kara was livid at Asheara leaving them behind, when she knew full well they had no scrolls. Rashaban would have settled for being able to walk in a straight line, but he was also worried about the rescue. It had been a success, yes, but only because of him. Had it not been for his Blood Golem and curses, the battle would have been lost. Asheara knew that the Iron Wolves outclassed the vermin in the jungle, why didn't she simply make for a bridge at the first opportunity? That was riskier, because the two she was trying to rescue might have died while they were fighting their way through a blockade, but it would have been better than sitting on the shore, trying to figure out when they could shoot into combat. She could have at least split up her force. He also had the distinct feeling that, whether or not Kara had been there to look after him, he would have been left where he had fallen.

Deckard Cain was the first to greet them, with his characteristic, "Good to see you!" Kara simply asked where they could go to sleep that was as far away from Asheara as possible. Cain's eyes widened; he obviously had no idea of what had happened.

Rashaban felt that now was the time to interject, before Kara got out of hand. "Who sells potions around here?"

"Alkor." Cain pointed down a rickety catwalk, that looked much the same as the others.

"Kara, do me a favor and go get some potions. This golem is about to give out."

The last part was a bit of a lie; he was getting _tired_ of it, but he could easily keep it going. He had a feeling Kara knew it too, but she stalked off nonetheless. Rashaban quickly explained the situation to Cain, who seemed uninterested.

"You heroes always manage." he muttered. Cain wandered off to go and talk to Ormus, who was apparently the resident wizard.

Rashaban looked around, and saw no one, so he finally got off his golem and sat on the ground. He was feeling relatively better; all the sharp pains had dulled, and his head was clear enough to think. But, his Blood Golem related injuries still hadn't gone anywhere with a single potion and a single night of rest. He was in no shape to even stand up, much less walk.

Nothing to do now but wait for Kara. And hope she hadn't run into Asheara on the way. He would be happy to see Kara wipe the docks with the wench, but he also had no desire to turn the entire refugee camp against them, and even less desire to kill the people's confidence in their leaders, however misplaced it seemed to be.

It turned out he needn't have worried. "Necromancer!" Asheara called from behind him.

Rashaban sighed. More than anything else, he was in the mood to go to sleep for a long, long time. He was certainly not in the mood for a lecture by this incompetent commander, who would surely have left him to his own devices in the jungle.

"Yes?", he called back, in a tone that made these things clear. He fought off the quickly rising urge to use his Blood Golem on _her_. She came and sat next to him. "Can I be of some service to you?" he asked, the mockery in his tone showing through clearly.

"Yes, you can", she responded stiffly. "You can accept my apology." At his surprised glance, she continued, "You won that battle for us. Anybody can see that. I didn't know what to think of you two at first, but now it's pretty clear." she noticeably eyed his many wounds, and added, "The fact that you did what you did for people you don't even know proves me wrong. And, contrary to what it looks like, it didn't even cross my mind about your scrolls." After a short silence, she concluded, "I apologize for treating you like you didn't exist, but I've just got to keep my image up, you understand. I guess I'm just trying to say that I owe you one."

Rashaban looked back at her after a moment. He wasn't quite sure how to respond, so he simply said what was on his mind, "Arrogance from commanders is something I'm used to ignoring. I appreciate your apology. What I don't appreciate is your brainless tactics. If I hadn't been there, those two would be dead. Why didn't you go for a bridge? Your Wolves would have been more than capable of breaking through a blockade of those midgets, yet you stood back and took potshots instead. Explain that to me, and we'll call it even."

Asheara looked embarrassed by his assessment. "The truth is, I didn't think they were in real danger. Cor's strength and Sara's ability are legend around here." She paused a moment before continuing, "I've never gone up against a Council Member. Not even Solmo got that far. I knew they were supposedly very powerful, but I underestimated them, unlike… unlike those two."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sara and Cor were careful to avoid the city, because they knew their limits. They were still trying to get stronger before they attempted a raid."

Rashaban interrupted, "Cain told me on the way here that the Council Members stayed in Travincal. Why were they being chased by one if they were so careful?"

"They were nowhere near Travincal. Ormus needed an artifact, the Gidbinn, to strengthen the magical shield around the docks. They were going after that, but apparently the High Council thought they could get rid of us once and for all if they kept the Gidbinn from us. So, they sent one of their own to make sure it was never returned."

"Why didn't the Council just take this Gidbinn to Travincal with them?"

Asheara chuckled at this. "It rallies those worthless fetishes in the forest. Without them, the Council would lose their first line of defense. They aren't very dangerous themselves, but they're so annoying and persistent that they tend to deter anyone who ventures deep enough into the jungle."

Rashaban thought for a moment, and leaned back against his golem. "So, Sara and Cor were attacked by something they knew they couldn't win against, so they ran, and sent up the beacon for your help. When someone sends up a beacon for help, I believe it's customary to actually help. Any special reason you didn't take them seriously?"

Asheara wouldn't look at him. "I thought…I thought they were selling themselves short. They had accomplished so much…almost as much as Solmo himself had… I guess I thought they needed a little push. To show them what they were capable of."

"So, you thought that by thrusting them into certain death, they would somehow tap into strength they didn't know they had, and win."

She nodded.

Rashaban recalled his first encounter with the Smith. It seemed long ago, but that had indeed happened. "Well, I know firsthand what you mean, but it turns out they were right. They weren't strong enough. And by the way, I wasn't strong enough either. When that happened to me, Kara had to save me." A thought suddenly struck him. "How are they doing, by they way?"

"When it first attacked, it took them by surprise, and Cor took a bad hit before the battle even began. They fought it at first, and took some more wounds than they needed to before they figured out they were outmatched. In other words, not well."

She stood. "Want to go and see them? I'm sure they're dying to thank you."

Inwardly pondering how the Asheara from before could turn into the Asheara before him, he started to get up- and thought better of it. "I'm going to pass right now," he muttered to her, falling back against his golem. "Maybe once I can walk."

She nodded. "I'll go to Alkor and get some potions. You needn't worry about paying for them."

"Too late. I already sent Kara. But, I'll make sure she gets your apology as well." Asheara nodded, and left.

It wasn't long before Kara came back with a large stash of potions.

"I think you'll like Alkor. He has your sense of humor."

Rashaban smirked. "Really. Guess who I just talked to."

Kara cocked her head. "You were talking to Cain when I left…"

"Our favorite fearless and shirtless mercenary commander was by to see me." At Kara's immediate look, he waved his hand to dismiss it. "Surprisingly, she apologized, and let me know that she was gambling with those two we saved." He related the conversation to her.

Kara shook her head in disbelief when he finished. "How could she…"

Rashaban sighed with a shrug. "Ah, well, I'm glad. Everything turned out all right in the end. We're alive, they're alive, and now somebody here already owes me. I could use some of those potions, if you don't mind."

Kara rolled her eyes.

"And, try and find us some quarters here, would you? I'm not quite feeling up to moving right now."

'Same old Rashaban.', she thought.

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Rashaban was bedridden for much longer than he expected. The slashes on his arms were healing nicely, but the internal bleeding was more of a problem. He was out for the better part of a week, just stuck in his hut, studying his spell books, _especially _on how to create an Iron Golem.

Kara, however, was busy scouting the jungle, and picking up where Sara and Cor had left off. She was perfectly happy to be back in her natural element once more, and she spent the next week primarily honing her skills, leaving Rashaban to sit at the docks.


	44. Recovery And Preparations

After a week, Rashaban still wasn't very solid on his feet, but most of his wounds were starting to heal, if not completely. He decided that he should probably go and see how the two others were doing. It was late in the morning when he stumbled into their particular ramshackle hut. They lay in two beds next to each other, probably the best this poor camp had to offer, with many empty potion bottles scattered on the floor.

As soon as he set eyes on them, he didn't feel so bad about his own condition. Cor had taken many, many more wounds than Rashaban had seen originally, even aside from the arm. Rashaban had endlessly complained about his condition, and rightly so, but he could see from even a cursory glance that Cor's wounds had rivaled his.

Cor's wounds all seemed to be healing well, but Rashaban still couldn't get over the missing arm. Despite seeing the walking advertisement for wooden limbs named Elzix, Rashaban still saw the Barbarian losing his arm over again in his mind. Sara looked as if she had taken much less of a beating, but was having a much harder time healing herself. She spoke up almost as soon as he entered, "Are you the one who saved us?"

Rashaban shuffled his feet. "Well, in a sense, I suppose…one of many, I guess…Look, I just came by to see if you two were alright."

Sara laughed a bit at his modesty, and replied lightly, "Your friend has already done the same. We thank you both for your courtesy, and we cannot thank you enough for what you have done for us."

Cor spoke up, in very different tone. He was still angry, but Rashaban could tell it was not necessarily directed at him. "Alive? Yes. Alright? Not so much."

He waved his stump of a left arm uselessly. "A one armed Barbarian isn't very useful in a fight."

Rashaban chuckled. "Maybe not, but you sure put up a fight against that thing with your one arm."

Cor grinned a bit, but said nothing. Sara spoke up instead, jokingly, "This buffoon isn't the only one with a problem." She indicated her arms, which were set with splints. "Didn't you wonder why I wasn't using my more powerful spells?"

Rashaban thought for a moment, then replied, "I'm not too familiar with your kind, and right then it wasn't the first thing on my mind. But, now that you mention it, why weren't you using the fancy stuff? Calling down lighting storms, and meteors, or maybe fire hydras?"

Sara sighed, and managed a quick laugh, as if she was laughing at something absurd.

"I can't." she said, rolling her eyes.

"Come again?" Rashaban asked, puzzled at the laughter. "I don't get it."

Cor spoke up for her, snickering slightly. "She sprained her wrists, blocking a hit in the first fight. Then, she broke them, saving me with her teleport."

Rashaban was still puzzled. "And?"

"Sorceresses need to wave their hands around to cast their spells." He flapped his hand in the air for emphasis, getting a joking glare from Sara.

Rashaban raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious? You can't do magic because you sprained your wrist?"

Sra nodded in mock sadness. "My people are _supposed_ to be fragile, but this is ridiculous."

Rashaban chuckled and nodded in assent.

It was contagious, and they all cracked up.

Rashaban could only shake his head and laugh. "You have got to be kidding… well, okay then. How long will you be out?"

Sara rolled her eyes again. "Healing potions don't help that much with breaks, and less with sprains. It still sounds ridiculous, to actually say I'm out of commission because of a sprain, but probably another week, maybe two."

Rashaban nodded. "Well, hey, if your hand movements let you make meteors, I won't complain. Two weeks is good, because I'm trying to think up a plan, and now I know I can count you guys in."

They both nodded vigorously in assent.

Sara's voice suddenly changed, to the tone needed to broach a tender subject. "Now, I don't much about Necromancers either, but…"

Cor snapped back at her, "I already said no!"

Sra went on ahead, ignoring him, "Can you grow back his arm?"

Rashaban instantly had the odd feeling that he was talking to a married couple. Regardless, he made a face that let the both of them know it was doubtful. Sara seemed disappointed, but Cor seemed rather pleased.

"I'd need to have a fully functional alchemy lab, and I've never done it before. Alkor could probably take care of the potions I'd need, and I can try, but I wouldn't recommend it."

Sara nodded sadly. Cor seemed satisfied, though. "No offense meant, Friend, but I've been taught to stay away from your kind, and attack if you make the slightest provocation. Our shamans know all about the Balance, but they still distrust the source of your magic. You did save us after all, and we saw what you did to yourself to do that, so I trust you, but I'd rather…stay away from your powers all the same."

Rashaban nodded slowly. "Understandable." After a short silence, he said, "Why not have Hratli make you a weapon arm?"

Cor suddenly wore a huge, sinister smile. "That would be…why didn't I think of that?"

Rashaban laughed. "A week of sitting in bed will do that to you."

"Let this be a lesson." Sara almost chided. She wasn't talking to anybody in particular, but it almost seemed like she didn't want this event to simply pass by. "Appreciate the powers you have; you never know when you might lose them. If I had lost my hand, I wouldn't be able to ever cast spells again."

Rashaban nodded. "There's truth in that.", he said.

'She's right, of course.', he thought to himself. 'You have to appreciate what you have, and not waste your opportunities.' As thoughts of Kara sprang to mind, he pushed them back down with a mental sigh. Outwardly, he said, "All right, I think I've been up for long enough now; I'll be going."

Sara and Cor, both having heard the details about the Blood Golem's effects from Kara, both nodded understandingly.

"As soon as I can get together with Ormus and Asheara, and figure something out, I'll keep you posted." he remarked on the way out.

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It took another week, but Rashaban was finally up and around. Sara and Cor were still out for the time being, but not for long.

"Sprained wrist", Rashaban muttered with a laugh whenever they were brought up. "Come on…"

He and Kara went to go and see Cain for information not long after.

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"So, Cain, tell us again why we're looking for rotting body parts?" Rashaban rubbed his eyes. "I'm still not quite clear."

Cain looked caught between being exasperated and being eager to go on because someone was actually listening to him. He stared intently at his captive audience inside his hut, and continued, "Because _Kahlim_ was the one incorruptible priest. When Mephisto had him killed, he knew that his will and faith would be the one thing that could destroy The Compelling Orb."

"_That's_ where I'm losing you.", Rashaban said for the umpteenth time. "Answer me this, Cain! Question one: Why can't I just hit the orb with a hammer?! Question two: What do Kahlim's rotting body parts have _anything_ to do with his will?!"

Cain pondered for a moment, before answering, "Mephisto corrupted every Zakarumite within his reach, save for Kahlim. His faith is needed to overcome the corruption."

At this point, even Kara had to chime in, "So, how does collecting his body parts get us his faith?"

Cain patiently replied, "It's not the things themselves, it's the trials you overcome to get them. They are merely tokens, with no power of their own."

Rashaban was about to reply, then paused. Something here didn't make sense to him. "So, why did Mephisto leave any evidence? Why did he leave trials? Why not just obliterate Kahlim completely?"

"The Zakarum place great emphasis on trials and tests. Any Zakarum who attempts to go against Mephisto without first completing the trials will surely lack the confidence to proceed. If Mephisto had not set up the trials, any challenger could proceed straight to him." At their stunned look, he continued, "Mephisto believes that the trials will waylay potential adventurers into extremely dangerous side trips, distracting them from their true goal; him. So far, his plan has worked, and nobody has survived the dungeons he has stocked with his most powerful demons."

Rashaban looked dumbfounded. "Kahlim's Will is…is a setup? Nothing but a trick?!"

Cain nodded. "You could put it that way."

Kara looked very confused. "So, tell me again why we're supposed to be doing it…"

"Any Zakarum who wishes to challenge Mephisto knows of Kahlim. To break the Compelling Orb, some symbol of Kahlim's must be present. Mephisto has conveniently eliminated all other symbols, in order to goad challengers into his traps."

Rashaban leaned over. "Maybe so…but neither of us are Zakarumites. We don't need Kahlim's symbol. We're outsiders in this. None of the Zakarum's rules about trials have any bearing on us; we just need to destroy the Orb."

Cain looked unsure. "I…I never thought of that…"

Rashaban continued. "Just because the Zakarum were defeated doesn't mean an outside force can't rescue them." He looked at Kara. "That outside force would be us. Besides, how will we destroy Mephisto if we can't destroy his little toy? And, how would Kahlim feel if we fell for it, just like all his followers?"

Cain nodded. "It certainly is an interesting idea, if nothing else."

"You said he stocked his dungeons with his most powerful demons. Won't that keep them out of our way?"

Cain nodded once more. "Give it a try. But be warned; the Council won't go down easily." Cain was about to leave, but stopped at the door. "Silly me, you've already fought one of them. I must be getting old…"

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Rashaban decided that they needed a plan. They couldn't just hack their way up to Travincal and take on the entire Council. First, taking on one Council Member from across a river was one thing; taking on twelve at once was quite another. Second, they could only assume Mephisto monitored his traps. If Travincal was infiltrated without the traps at least being set off, then he would empty them of their powerful demons, and they would face a rear attack.

Rashaban sat down with Asheara and Ormus to discuss it. "Ok, the river runs right to Travincal, correct? And the traps are placed not far away. That means all we need to do is follow the river, but somebody has to spring the traps so Mephisto doesn't get suspicious."

Both Asheara and Ormus nodded. "That is correct."

"The main problem was the fetishes, but without the Gidbinn, they're scattering once more. Kara is out now looking for large groups and breaking them up. And, as I understand it, the corrupted animals shouldn't pose a problem."

Again, they both nodded.

"So, what I propose is this. We take however many Iron Wolves you feel like giving us, and head up to the first test, the Spider Cavern with the Eye. We'll go in, cause some trouble, then back out before it gets too tough. The next day, we'll leave some Iron Wolves to do it again, but _only_ for the first trap. We have to give him the idea that we're still working on the first one. The next day, we shouldn't have any trouble reaching the city by nightfall. The Wolves will make camp outside the walls by the closest waypoint, While Kara and I will go on quick excursions into the city to find the ones inside. Once we get close to Travincal, we'll take the Iron Wolves in and attempt to overwhelm them."

Ormus looked thoughtful, but Asheara looked unconvinced. "That's a part I don't like. Most or all of my Wolves will get killed." She normally would have been more venomous with him, but she still felt guilty about leaving them behind.

Rashaban nodded. "Fair enough. But, are you prepared to go with the first part of the plan?"

"Ormus does not know if Mephisto will be so easily fooled. However, Ormus also does not think Mephisto pays enough attention to this part of his plan to notice."

"It's an attempt, and we've got nothing to lose.", Rashaban stated firmly.

"Save the element of surprise.", Asheara pointed out.

Rashaban nodded. "Yes, we could lose that and our camp might face a rear attack. If that happens, we'll simply assault Travincal earlier."

Asheara shook her head. "I still don't buy that part of the plan."

"Well, if you've got a better idea, let's hear it. Kara and I don't even really know what we're up against. Do some of the Council Members know magic? The one we faced earlier obviously didn't. And, it didn't seem that smart, just wicked. Do they still have human intelligence, or not? We need to know more about them and how many demons they have in Travincal."

"Ormus thinks it may be prudent to send Kara to gather this knowledge."

"Good idea." All of them nodded. "When she returns, Ormus will tell her how to get around the back of the city, and into Travincal."

**A/N Sara and Cor kind of got the short end of the stick here. I wanted to introduce some new characters on the one hand, but as I toyed with some different endings, it just didn't work to focus on Rashaban and Kara for the entire story, and then shift the focus for the last third. So, Sara and Cor never really develop that deeply, although they were originally meant to develop more. Oh well, they get a cool role later on to make up for it. **

**Oh, and before anybody gives me any gripe about "Hey, man. _Sara? Kara? _Come on, can't you think of any names?" I'd like to refer you to my profile, where it specifically states that I'm so bad at thinking up names, I couldn't even think up my own penname. (In case you were wondering, _Rashaban_ sounds a lot like _Rastalin_, from Dragonlance. And, Cor is just a monosyllabic Barbarian name.) **


	45. Infiltration

Kara had a mixed reaction. She was happy to go back out into the jungle, but it seemed like she was doing everything lately. Since the magical barrier was back up, the Iron Wolves seemed to have taken a break. And she knew Rashaban was still weak from his Blood Golem fiasco, but he hadn't even set one foot outside the docks.

"Sure I'll do it.", she replied, "It just seems like I'm the only one who's doing anything around here."

Rashaban shrugged. "I guess there's not much to do right now. I don't really feel like walking into one of Mephisto's little 'trials', and I've already made a brilliant plan."

Kara smirked at that.

"We just need to know a little more before we can put it into action.", he continued. "Besides, you're the best at sneaking around in the jungle."

Kara smiled and said, "Yeah, I guess I am." There was something odd that he picked up in the way she said that. Her gaze was focused on nothing.

"Kara? You okay?"

She looked up at him with an odd look in her eyes. "I was just thinking about…forget it. I'll be going now." As she stepped out of the docks, leaving a confused Rashaban behind, her thoughts drifted. They drifted back to when Rashaban had given her that test, right before they had fought Andariel. She remembered how she had felt like nothing, a worthless mercenary, no more a warrior than a seamstress. How he had turned that attitude completely around. She thought back to their first day arriving, how he had taken a huge number of wounds and a huge risk to save those two. It just seemed like he…she didn't know, but there was something connecting those two events. Something he didn't want to let on. Something she-

Before that thought could coalesce and come to its conclusion, she heard rustling and the snickering of those damn midgets somewhere ahead. That thought was replaced by a new one as her vision snapped into focus; 'yeah. He's right. I _am_ the best at what I do. I'm living proof. Just you watch, world. Just you watch…'

The fetishes didn't stand a chance.

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Near the end of the day, Kara rested near the ruins of a midget camp. It had been hard work tracking the worthless buggers all day, but she had finally broken up or killed every large group anywhere near the docks.

As she sat, her thoughts drifted. She remembered her jungle home, so similar to this one, and how she had thought of all she had accomplished since she had been thrown away by her masters as a joke on the Rouges. She really had become a warrior. Rashaban had helped, of course, but she had built herself up into far more than she had ever imagined at her training. She looked at her slain opponents, and chuckled. She had been cocky then, but she never would have been able to do something like this.

'I've changed.', she thought to herself. 'Not much, and it isn't obvious, but in some real, important ways, I've changed.'

She thought for a while, keeping an eye out for more midgets with Inner Sight, about how cocky she had been.

'Rashaban's changed too,' she thought. He seemed the same, but she still couldn't get over how he had done that. Most of the time, he seemed so single-mindedly focused, only stopping to make sarcastic remarks or play politics. But, what he had done was selfless. He was _still_ weak from it, and it had been weeks. It was all very…different. Like a whole new part of him had opened up, for a split second, that she usually never saw.

It was a huge change from the sarcastic, confident weasel she was used to, and a little…appealing. A different side of him, for sure, and part of her didn't quite know what to make of it. She wondered for a moment, about him. He had always been there. Ever since the beginning of this whole thing, he had always been there. Always by her side. They were good comrades and friends, to be sure, but, would they ever be-

She cut herself off with a shake of her head. 'There's no point in thinking like that, just because he did the right thing, when no one else did. No point in thinking of him that way just because he's always there. Besides, we're on a mission anyway. No time for that.' But, as she got up and walked off, she wondered if there was something…else to him. Something besides his little heroic act, and besides that fact that he was her constant companion.

'On a mission.' she reminded herself. 'And besides,' she said with a smirk, 'Necromancers look really old.'

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By the time Kara had finished with the scouting mission, Rashaban had fully healed, Sara had regained the use of her hands enough to use about half of her original spells, and Cor was sporting a very wicked looking new arm, with a round shield covering where his forearm used to be, and a wickedly curved blade where his hand used to be. Sara would much rather he had tried to regrow his arm, but Cor was still extremely suspicious of Rashaban's magic, if not Rashaban himself. He was also very happy with his new weapon. And eager to use it.

With Kara's new knowledge, Rashaban made a few adjustments to his plan, that both Ormus and Asheara approved of heartily. Rashaban accompanied Sara and Cor to spend a week training in the jungle, to take the edge off of all the rust that had built up while they healed. (Kara took most of the week off, since she had been doing all the work.) It wasn't long before they marked the day for the assault.

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The first part of Rashaban's plan worked flawlessly. The docks were almost emptied, as Rashaban's plan drew support not only from Asheara, but from the refugees as well. A huge group of the Kurast survivors accompanied the Wolves, wielding whatever weapons they could find and felt they could handle. Leaving a small detachment of Wolves at the Spider Caverns to draw Mephisto's attention (if he was even giving it), they proceeded up the river, their vastly superior numbers laying waste to the small midget groups or the odd corrupted animal they happened to encounter. When they approached the outskirts of the city, the main force dug in around the waystone outside the main gate, while Rashaban and Kara, along with a small detachment of Wolves, infiltrated. They slipped past the mind-controlled Zakarumites and lumbering animals, deftly slipping into the shadows to avoid every possible fight until Travincal was in sight.

The reached the Travincal gates easily enough, though they found no waystone. They split up, with orders to run from any fight, and not make themselves known. The Wolves nodded, and faded away into the twisting depths of the city's alleys, Rashaban and Kara splitting off in the opposite direction.

They slipped through the alleyways, undetected at first. Soon, though, they turned a corner into a building, and instantly regretted it. It was completely filled with mind-controlled Zakarum, ones that made the Dark Sisters look modest. One of them pointed to the door and screeched, "Battlemaid Sarina! Intruders!"

The both of them ran, and Kara gave Rashaban a sideways, teasing glare at the look on his face. "You look like you're about ready to give yourself up. I'm sure they'd be merciful…"

"Oh, shut up." Rashaban shot back, with the same joking tone, although the idea had crossed his mind. "Why don't you fight them, if you don't mind their appearance?"

Kara skidded to a halt at a bottleneck between two buildings, and turned to engage them. After about five minutes, she hadn't killed a single one. Rashaban cracked up. "Embarrassed?", he snapped towards her, still joking. "Jealous, perhaps?"

Still fighting, Kara couldn't find a reply.

Laughing so hard he could barely keep his concentration, he pulled out a wand to cast Fear, and they all ran. Kara's face was bright red when she turned around. "How am I supposed to fight them when they don't even-"

Rashaban just couldn't stop laughing at her reaction. "Hey, _I'm_ a guy, and I managed to keep my cool. Why do you have such a problem?" He cocked his head. "On second thought, they _are_ much better looking. Maybe I _should_ just give myself up."

Kara's face turned an even brighter red at his mock insult, and she made to throw a javelin at him. He cursed jokingly and ducked around a corner. A retort was forming in Kara's mind, but just then, they spotted a flash of lightning; the Wolves' signal. All jokes banished from their minds, they rushed towards it.

The Wolves had found it, and were long gone. Rashaban and Kara were spotted the instant they rushed out of hiding, but with Rashaban's Fear spells, they were never caught. They were long gone by the time their pursuers got to the waystone.

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Back at the new camp, Rashaban breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that worked well," he muttered to himself reassuringly. He reported to Asheara and Ormus that all the Wolves had made it, and the raid was a complete success; now all of the Wolves who had come with them could use the waystone to bring reinforcements directly to Travincal's gate.

The army made camp there that night; the first part of the plan was complete. The next day would be the deciding factor.


	46. Travincal

Halfway through the morning, all was quiet in Travincal. Council Members stalked the grounds, eagerly waiting for someone foolish enough to challenge them, but biding their time. Mind-controlled Zakarumites scouted wearily through the temple complex. They watched their bodies move without control, long having given up hope of being freed, instead hoping against hope that someone brave would come and put them to rest, and that Mesphisto would forget about bringing them back to life. Wights roamed in the shadows, patrolling the best ambush points for them to use, ever vigilant. All in all, a normal morning at the temple, simply waiting, either for a challenger, or their master's orders.

Little did they know that this particular morning, their jungle guards had all been sniped off, one by one, by a single Amazon. Where the back of the monolithic main temple towered at the very edge of the city, two heroes were swiftly climbing the tallest trees. Well, one was climbing swiftly, anyway, and the other was lagging far behind, hurling silent insults at his partner. The other simply looked a long way down and laughed, too quietly to be heard from inside the walls.

Once the pair finally reached the top of the trees, they still had only the barest glimpse of the top of the massive pyramid, and they were facing a stone overhang that kept the top of the pyramid in shade. Creeping from treetop the treetop, they slowly, deliberately changed their angle to the right, until the solid overhang on the top no longer blocked their view, and they could see four guards' heads peek out above the low parapet on the right side. And, Rashaban could barely see the pinkish glint of the Compelling Orb. He looked at Kara, and she nodded back wordlessly, creeping up to the wall across the vines, then jumping and silently grabbing hold of the top, so that she was hanging just below the edge, invisible from below, and hard to spot from above. With her feet planted for a quick jump to the top, she waited for Rashaban's signal.

Rashaban took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and concentrated. This _had_ to work. Usually, he just made a clay golem from whatever material was available to him. But, now, he needed something specific. Reaching out with the very limited sensitivity to earth that his clay golem imparted, he mentally searched the area where the glint had come from. He found the Compelling Orb, heavily inundated with unfamiliar magic, and mentally took hold of its position. And aimed his spell right below it.

The four mind-controlled guards on top of the temple were standing on duty. Nothing out of the ordinary. Some rusting in the trees, but what else was new? They had jungle guards for that, on the off-chance it wasn't one of their own corrupted animals.

When they heard a grinding sound, they at first didn't know where to look. Then, one of them spotted the Compelling Orb, and was about to yell, but his suppressed mind managed to, in sheer desperation, wrest enough control away to choke and cough to stop the yell, if nothing else. It gave Rashaban a few seconds that may have been unnecessary, but may have been the key. It was too close to tell.

The second the Compelling Orb's stone stand finished its transformation into a golem, it ran for the wall, quickly picking up speed. The guards were too dumbstruck at first to react, and their attention was further torn away when, from the jungle, somebody yelled, at the top of their lungs, "NOW!" With all the distractions combined, none of them could move fast enough to avert what was to come. And, the poor trapped souls held their collective breaths in hope, as their faces looked on in utter horror.

"NOW!" Kara vaulted flawlessly over the wall, not even turning her head to see if there were any nearby troops. She knew that some patrolled the walls, but they would be too distracted, and she had used her Inner Sight to know they were too far away to reach her in time. She unslung her bow, and fitted her arrow. Looking up, she saw Rashaban's golem lumber towards the wall, with a pinkish-purple orb for a head, and take a flying leap off. She quickly estimated the spot it would land, and drew back her bow, the power of ice infusing the arrow.

'This is going to be a tough shot…', she said to herself. 'But, I'm an Amazon. I've trained for this my whole life. I _know_ I can make it. Just remember the speed…'

Rashaban's golem hurtled through the air, picking up massive amounts of speed as it fell. In midair, Rashaban rearranged his golem so that the orb was now at the bottom of its feet. Now, all he could do was hold his breath, and hope that, if this wasn't enough, Kara's arrow would do the trick.

Kara _saw_ the golem as it fell, saw the speed, saw the motion. She saw the flight of her arrow before she even fired it. She saw the moments as they ticked by, simply waiting for the right one. When the speed, the motion, and the moment came together, she let fly.

By now, every eye in Travincal was upon the spectacle unfolding at the temple. The golem had taken a huge leap, and had barely cleared the sloping walls; it was going to land right at the pyramid's base. They saw the golem cash to the earth, and in the same instant, a blue shaft of light flew from the wall and intersected the tiny flash of purple. A Zakarumite standing mere feet away saw the entire thing. He could never tell if the crushing weight of the golem, or the magic in the arrow had done it, because they both hit at the exact same instant. All he knew was that the Orb shattered, shattered into a thousand, thousand pieces. And, as it did, so Mephisto's control shattered, and after the few indescribable moments it took to regain control of his own body, he simply smiled a vengeful smile. He had been a Zakarumite mage, and his powers had not left him. His nearest brothers-in-arms surrounded him, the same smile on their faces, huge, ceremonial halberds poised to strike back at their former masters. All around him, across the entire complex, he could see his brothers and sisters doing the same. The Council Members and the handful of wights suddenly found themselves far, far outnumbered.

Kara leapt up from her crouch and, seeing that everyone else on the wall was now a freed Zakarumite, held her bow to the sky, and sent up a stream of fire arrows.

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Far away, at the Kurast gate, the entire army had its eyes on the temple. When the signal went up, the response was immediate. Nobody needed Asheara's cries of "MOVE! MOVE! NOW! GO!" or Ormus' shout of, "THE TIME IS AT HAND! FREE YOUR BROTHERS!"

They were already crowding to the waystone.

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Rashaban leapt, a bit more carefully and far less gracefully, towards the wall to join Kara. He had to try something…the Zakarumites had been under mind-control, but the Council was corrupted, just like the Dark Sisters. If he could free them, as well…

He tried his spell, but found that Mephisto was still controlling them directly somehow. He tried to fight, but matching wills with Mephisto was beyond his reach. He somehow felt, however, that it was only barely beyond his reach.

"Know this, hellspawn.", he snapped over the mental link. "We come for you next."

Mephisto declined to respond.

Rashaban gave up, and looked out from his vantage point atop the wall. He saw the Wolves, along with their refugee backup, begin to pour in from the gate. He saw two familiar figures leading the charge; Sara and Cor were commanding the army.

Rashaban followed Kara, sprinting across the wall to the temple, knowing that the battle for Travincal was already over. Taking back the rest of the city would take more time, they knew, so they were headed down to take on Mephisto and hopefully end his control before he emptied his traps, and their force faced a rear attack. Asheara and Ormus were still guarding their backs with some Wolves, but if their position was attacked hard enough, they would have to fall back. Hopefully, Rashaban and Kara could take care of the problem.

As they sprinted up the many, many stairs, and reached the top, they looked back out over the city to see how the battle was going. The Zakarum in the main city were freeg as well, and although they couldn't quite tell from this distance, they thought they saw someone from the day before leading the revolt.

"Is that…" Rashaban began.

"Battlemaid Sarina and her harem? I think so." Kara smirked. "I can probably take on Mephisto alone, if you want to go and-"

Rashaban shook his head with a laugh, "No, I'm fine, I assure you." In his head, a part of him said, 'I'd take you over them any-'

'Silence! Listen, you, this is way too important to listen to your pathetic drivel all day. If you want a chance then you'll kindly_ shut up_ and try not to get the both of us killed by distracting me.'

'Fine, fine, have it your way.'

Kara looked at him a bit worriedly. "You all right? You zoned out there for a minute."

Rashaban shook his head to clear it, and then said, "No, I'm fine, really. Just…nevermind. You ready for this?"

She gave a winning smile. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Then let's go."

As one, they charged down the stairs.

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The Durance was built to be dark and forbidding, and full of nooks and crannies that always seemed to conceal a threat. But, Rashaban and Kara were used to fighting in the dark, they almost felt more at home there, in a way. "Just like old times." Rashaban muttered.

"Kind of feels like the Monastery." Kara agreed. "Only shiner."

The walls, the ornaments, almost everything was of brass and iron, and it would have glimmered, had there been any light. Relying totally on their own ways to pierce the darkness, the two stalked into every side corridor, dispatching the zombies and midget imps they came across with little trouble. However much they tried to thoroughly clear the halls though, it always seemed like they were being attacked from behind. Not that it mattered; their attackers could not surprise them. They found a waystone, but decided against using it. They were fine on supplies, and wanted this over with. They found several more sacrificial pits, just like the ones in Andariel's antechamber. These were smaller, but there were many, many more than just one. Rashaban shook his head and muttered, "I'm gonna kill him."

Kara nodded back slowly. "Not If I see him first."

It wasn't very challenging, just a normal mission, until they finally got to the bottom level. Just as with Andariel and Duriel, they could feel it. Stepping through into an antechamber, they were immediately beset by the remainder of the High Council. Past them, they could see more minions pouring out of Mephisto's main chamber. Rashaban simply sneered at them, and fell back behind his own minions; a tide of skeletons led by his golem to smash the enemy ranks. Using his wand to the best effect, he cursed his attackers, and set his Teeth on them, passing through his skeletons harmlessly, to tear into the chest of the nearest Council Member.

While he kept them occupied, Kara ducked back behind them, and put a poisoned javelin in each one's back. She glanced over her shoulder, and saw that even though the new wave of minions wasn't any different from what they had faced on the way down, she would have to deal with them. Sprinting away from the Council Members, she started to engage the new wave with poison and lightning javelins, but soon felt very odd. Glancing down, she noticed a slight red aura around her.

Rashaban's jaw dropped for a moment. They were using his _own_ curse on him?! It was only an instant, but he was stunned. How _dare_ they!

At that insult, he was through fooling around, and cast weakness on himself and Kara to dispel it. He quickly sheathed his wand, and drew out his magical kris in a flash, popping the cork off a special vial of poison Alkor had given him. He had finished toying with them, and he was done coating the blade before his extra skeletons had crumbled from dropping his wand. With a fiendish smile, he went to work on the Council.

Kara didn't know what was going on with the curses, but she was sure Rashaban was on top of it somehow. She felt weaker than normal, but she supposed that was better than taking twice the hits. She threw another lightning javelin, spearing a wraith that had just entered the room. Just when she thought she was finished, her sixth sense warned her, and she flashed to the side, barely avoiding a fireball that would have blasted into her back. She whirled around, and saw that Rashaban was going berserk on the Council with his dagger, but one of them had disengaged, and was conjuring fire hydras out of the floor, aiming for her.

The briefest of smiles flashed across her face. Some knew better that to waste time shooting at Amazons. Not this one, apparently. She entered her focused state of mind, seeing in her head exactly when her opponent would order the hydras to strike. She walked around each and every shot with unnatural speed and grace, and the shocked Council Member found three arrows flying for his head, one for each eye, and another for his throat. Kara was pleasantly surprised when they all hit, dead on target. She aimed her bow again, and finished the one Rashaban was still working on.

Looking at each other once more, knowing that they had a tough fight ahead of them, they each had a quick potion for the minor wounds they had sustained. Then, sharing one last look, they rounded the corner, and passed under a huge archway into Mephisto's lair.


	47. The Lord Of Hatred

**A/N Okay, this chapter might get a little confusing, so in this one only, the Teeth Of Scene Transition**

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**Will _always_ mark a change in speaker/perspective, and not a change in scene/dramatic pause/location change/time lapse, like they usually do. Afterwards, they'll be used like normal. And, just for clarification, **_italics_ **marks the use of Mephisto's special attack here. And I'm pretty sure you've noticed already, but just in case "double quotes" means speech, and 'single quotes' means thoughts throughout the whole story.**

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As they took in the full extent of the chamber, they saw that Mephisto was alone. He had already sent all of his minions into the antechamber, and they were all dead.

"We have come for you, Mephisto.", Rashaban intoned. He stared coldly at the huge wraith across the chamber, his tendrils looking eerily familiar to what Cain had told him of Tyrael, his oversized skull with the gaping jaw and reaching, clawed skeletal arms giving him a sinister appearance, but no more imposing than Duriel had been. Perhaps even less. Rashaban narrowed his eyes. "Your time has come. You will die by our hands."

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Mephisto looked at his challengers in utmost, sadistic glee. 'Two!' he shouted to himself in his mind. 'Two came!' He turned the thought over in his twisted mind much like a human would savor a morsel of fine food. His skull split into a wickedly satisfied grin, and his burning eyes turned a most disturbing shade of violet yellow. This was going to be delicious.

As he watched them survey the room quickly, looking for any possible advantage it would give them, Mephisto almost wished he could savor this moment longer. He knew full well that he was by far the weakest of the Prime Evils, hardly stronger than Duriel. But, he was the Lord of Hatred, after all. With a wordless roar, he attacked. He had done this countless times, and knew his tactics well. He made his roar sound especially weak, and unthreatening. He hurled a slow-moving bolt in their direction, and watched them dodge it effortlessly. He paid no heed to the arrows the Amazon began to launch, or the curses that the Necromancer cast. He merely kept up the slow barrage of distracting bolts, and slowly began to settle in to their minds.

The Amazon was easy; her well disciplined mind was simply a predictable battleground, and he simply had to use the most basic of mental distractions to evade her Inner Sight. The Necromancer, with his mental wards and extreme magical sensitivity, and was bit harder, but the demon simply hurled a few bolts his way to distract his attention enough to infiltrate. His timing was perfect, and by the time the Necromancer resumed his concentration, it was already too late. He roared in mock pain as one of the Amazon's arrows hit home, and retreated, looking to all appearances like he was trying to run, but in reality, he just sat back to watch the show.

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Rashaban looked at Mephisto, and saw extremely easy prey.

'Heh. Here I was thinking this was going to be hard.', he thought smugly.

Mephisto was roaring in pain after a few simple arrows from Kara. And his curses were making them work twice as well. Some Prime Evil. As he readied another spell, he saw Mephisto turn and run. Eyes widening, he couldn't believe it was going to be this easy. Was this some sort of dummy? He reached out with his magical senses to confirm it, and indeed, the being before them was the source of the aura consuming this place.

He looked back with his normal eyes, and saw Kara running after the beast. _'Wait a minute'_, he suddenly realized_, 'she hasn't let me get a single hit on him yet! She just used my curses, she's going to deal the final blow, and she's going to steal all the credit.' _ He cursed her harshly_. 'Typical of that wench.'_ He ran towards Mephisto yelling , "Hey! Don't even think about it!"

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Kara looked back at the parasite running behind her, and yelling something idiotic. She sneered. _'Worthless piece of dead weight idiot never does anything, always making me do all the dirty work, and then taking the credit for it himself. Anytime I call him on it, he just always smooth-talks out. Arrogant smart ass. Not this time.'_ She just ignored him, and kept running and firing. _'No way he's was taking all the glory this time. If he so much as tries, I'm gonna mess him up good.'_ She paused to fire an arrow, then kept running. She wasn't worried about taking down this worthless demon, it was going to be far too easy. Instead, she thought about what she could do to her pathetic leech of a partner when he inevitably would try to steal the credit. "Let's see how he smooth talks people with no _tongue_.' she spat aloud, though Rashaban was too far behind to hear.

"Let's see how he runs from doing the dirty work with no legs."

She glanced ahead of her once more, and saw no threat from Mephisto, he was cowering against the wall. She smiled a smile horribly reminiscent of the one Mephisto had given, mere minutes ago. She felt like eviscerating that worthless bastard right here, right now. She could blame the injuries on Mephisto, and with no tongue, and horribly beaten, she was pretty sure he wouldn't talk.

'_Or, you could just kill him, and blame it on Mephisto. He's a crafty one, and he might find some way to accuse you. No worries if you end him now. Two birds with one stone.' , _ a hidden voice blasted into her mind. The twisted smile got wider.

'_Even better.'_

She skidded to a stop, and whirled around, nocking an arrow, all in the same motion. Just to let him know what he had coming, she screeched, with Andariel's voice,

"Let's see how you talk with no _THROAT!!!_"

Relishing every second, she cut loose with a vengeance. Her arrow ignited as it sped towards him, right for his throat. The second in between when she released the bowstring, and when her arrow would finally end this drain on her life seemed an impossibly long wait.

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Outwardly Mephisto cowered; he didn't want to break his own spell. But, inwardly, he was enthralled. His brothers liked to snack on sacrifices while they watched these displays, but Mephisto didn't see how they could. It was far too riveting, especially these two. While inside their heads, he noticed a small seed of what he hated most. It was just a seed, in both of them, but still, it repulsed him even now. And, watching that seed be cut down before it could grow to fruition was the most _beautiful_ thing… he didn't want it to stop. He couldn't stand to see them die, and the suspense come to an end.

The instant Kara released the bowstring froze in his mind; a perfect mental image.

He wanted to live in this moment.

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Rashaban rushed towards her, his mind seething in suspicion and anger. _ 'No way she's taking all the credit this time.'_ a voice ranted in his head. _'_I _want my cut.'_

He saw as she whipped around. _'What's she up to now?! More tricks, likely.' _the thought leapt to his mind.

"Let's see how you talk with no _THROAT!!!_"

'What the-'

His eyes registered his impending doom before his mind had time to think, and it was simply reflex. His bone armor flashed into being around him not an instant too soon, actually hitting the shaft of the speeding arrow as it leaped together up around his body, knocking it into a spinning motion that flew it off course less than in inch from his face.

He was stunned. But, somehow, not shocked at her betrayal. '_Why am I not surprised. I knew she would pull this from day one, and turn on me when I needed her most. Time to end this.'_

"How _DARE_ you, wench!"

In a voice not his own, he roared, "Not even Death will save you from me! I'll have your soul for this treachery!!!!"

His eyes ablaze with murder and an unnatural red light, Rashaban's Blood Golem rose from a slain sacrifice behind Kara, its eyes showing the same red fire. His hands glowed with an overload of energy, crackling red veins of hatred mixed in with the normal pale white, preparing to unleash so many Teeth that she would never be able to dodge. And he would relish the look on her face when her powers failed her.

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In the background, Mephisto couldn't help but chuckle at inserting his brother's favorite threat. It had fit so well, too. Suddenly, though, something caught his attention a second too late.

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Kara's senses strained, trying to put her very essence into her vengeful arrow. She thought she caught some lines of a different red mixed in with her normal fire, and her smile widened until her mouth hurt. _'Good. More power.'_ Soon, it would be over. She could almost visualize the sweet, sweet sight of an arrow in that leech's throat, the blood oozing out of him. About time.

When the arrow broke off in its flight, a part of Kara simply began to snarl much like Andariel had, and reach for another arrow. Halfway through the motion, however, Kara froze. She froze completely, and then shuddered violently. She had seen this same thing once before. The exact same thing.

She watched the world in slow motion, while her memory played out:

"Enough," Rashaban laughed. "_That_ skill apparently hasn't dulled much."

They took a break for a while, then Kara asked "All right, how to _you_ propose to deal with arrows? I can dodge them, but what will you do?"

Rashaban shrugged, backed up ten paces, and said "Let's find out. Fire away."

Kara took careful aim, and fired. He wasn't going to dodge _that_.

A thin veil of bone sprung up around the mage, breaking the arrow off in its flight.

The memory came back to her in a rush, jolting her back to her senses. The scene of their training after the Smith shattered Mephisto's hold on her mind, and for a moment, she was totally confused, her vision spinning, utterly at a loss.

For a long moment, she had no idea where she was. She looked down at the bow in her hands, aimed at Rashaban.

"What…am I doing?!"

"Dying." came Rashaban's unearthly response.

She looked up in terror at the voice, and saw the red fire playing in his eyes, the red flame burning around his hands. She glanced back at the hiss of the Blood Golem. Her gaze whipping over to Mephisto, she saw he was no longer cowering. He wasn't moving, but he was smiling.

"No!!" She yelped in shock, the situation suddenly coming into focus, and smashing against her mind in a rush.

There was only one thing to do. Rashaban was already under the spell, and she had been, too. "Rashaban, RUN!!!", she screamed, hoping against hope she would get through to him. She sprinted towards the exit as fast as she could manage. "It's me, Kara! You have to RUN!!!!"

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"You'd better run!" he yelled towards her. He raised his hands to fire his Teeth, but something in her voice held him back. "I'll cut her to ribbons myself. Teeth are no fun." he rationalized out loud, then dropped his energy buildup, dismissed his Blood Golem, and gave chase.

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Mephisto had been holding his breath ever since the Amazon broke his spell. Once the Necromancer had run out of the room, he cackled maniacally, and let his hold on the both of them drop. He couldn't believe his luck! Now, they would come back, and he could live that moment again! Again, ahahhahaha!!!! he cackled madly. They would come back, and he could live that moment again… As an afterthought, he ordered his hidden minions to clear the way for them on the way out and back in, and not attack. This would be delicious…if he had been human, tears of joy would have come to his eyes.

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Kara ran. Ran as fast as she could. She didn't know how Mesphisto had put them under that spell, she just knew that she was out, and Rashaban was still under it.

"I'll flay you allliiiiiivveee!!" He screamed in a distorted voice from behind her.

She just ran faster. She hoped against hope that Mephisto's spell had some kind of a range. She frantically searched for memories that would give her a clue, and remembered Cain telling them on the ship that Mephisto was trapped in here, that was why he needed the Compelling Orb to extend his influence. She picked up her pace, though she didn't know how she a managed to run any faster. 'I just have to get us out of here…', she thought frantically.

"Kara, want to tell me what the hell is going on here?!"

Rashaban's normal voice was back. They were only about half way out, but she assumed that it was his range.

"Why are we running? How did we get out?", he continued.

"Please, just run, PLEASE!" she yelled back to him desperately. "We need to get out of here!"

At Kara's frantic pace, it wasn't long before they burst out into the open, relatively fresh air of Travincal. From this vantage point, while they caught their breath, they could see that the entire city was abandoned. Bodies lay strewn about, mostly those of the demons, and the plan had called for the army to use the waystones to regroup at the docks once the city had been cleared. No one in sight but them. Kurast was completely empty.


	48. Just A Bit Shaken Up

Rashaban leaned heavily against the wall; he was panting hard. "What the HELL happened?!?!"

Kara looked at him warily. As he looked up at her, she could see the fire was gone from his eyes. "I'm not quite sure myself." ,she replied warily, it was the truth. "Try and remember."

Rashaban nodded heavily, still panting, and said, "Are we safe here?"

Kara nodded. "Remember how Cain told us he's trapped?"

Rashaban nodded once more, and sat down heavily. Kara did the same.

They both took a few long, deep breaths, and tried to remember.

It didn't take them long, and Kara recalled first. She turned towards Rashaban for a long moment. In that moment, his memory returned as well, and he slowly turned his head towards her. Both of their faces wore the exact same expression. Their eyes were widened in a look of pure sock, their mouths hung open loosely in disbelief, and their cheeks were stretched back in fear and guilt.

Kara looked down at the bow still in her hands. In her panic, her hands had clenched, and she simply hadn't dropped it. She had shot him with it…

Rashaban brought his hands up to his face in disbelief. He looked as though he wanted to drop them. He vividly remembered pointing them to shoot her in the back. He remembered calling up his Blood Golem, directing it, in his fury, to crush her.

He simply sat, looking at nothing, for a long moment. Then he got up slowly, and backed away from her, horrified at what he had done, even more horrified that she might take off running at the memory. He put his hands out beseechingly as he backed away, his voice full of regret, "Please don't…"

Thinking he had remembered how she had shot him, and was talking about that, Kara instantly started to get up, slowly, still in a half crouch, and let her bow clatter to the ground. She held her hand out to him, her voice trembling in apology, "Oh, no, please don't…"

"please don't leave."

They both said it at once, their voices perfectly in harmony, their tones so perfectly matched that for a second, they froze, not sure if the other had said it. They dared to look into each other's eyes, both fearing what they would find.

The second they shared that glance, they both dropped to the ground, and let out a deep sigh. Then, they started the shake. Both of them, uncontrollably. The adrenaline, kept up by the run and then the fear that the other would leave them, wore off and the let down hit them both like a hammer. Combined with the mental effects of Mephisto cracking into their minds, it wasn't a pretty feeling, and it all caught up with them at once. Rashaban looked at his shaking hands and his rapidly failing knees, both barely holding him up, and started shaking even more, his breath coming in quick, rapid gasps. He practically fell over, just standing there, and Kara, still in a half crouch, caught him with her own shaking hands as he fell. They pulled each other close, each feeling the other's shivering form.

"What…did…he…do…to…us…" Rashaban managed through teeth clenched against the shivering. Kara probably wouldn't have understood him, if his chin hadn't been on her shoulder. "I don't know." she whispered back, her voice hardly any steadier, "But I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

It was quite a while before either of them noticed that they were crying.

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As the sun set, they sat watching it from their vantage point on top of the pyramid. It was beautiful. They could feel their physical strength returning with the urgency of the situation, but their resolve was dead. They hadn't said a word since they broke down.

Mephisto had been able to break into their minds as easily as he would open a box, and had simply poured in his hatred, mistrust, envy, and spite before closing the lid. Then, all he had to do was sit back and watch while they killed each other. He even gave them more power to help. These thoughts would not leave their minds.

"Are we so weak?" Rashaban muttered, finally breaking the silence in the light of the setting sun. "Are we really that easily manipulated? Are our minds so fragile?"

Kara nodded glumly, not even turning to look at him. "It looks that way."

Rashaban shook his head. "There must be _some _way around it. I mean…What if we went down there one at a time?"

"Then he'd probably make us hate whoever didn't go for being a coward." Kara muttered back in the same, dull tone.

"Argh! I just...don't know how he did it! I didn't even feel him in my head!", Rashaban ranted.

"Me either." Kara responded.

"There's got to-"

"Shut up and watch the sunset." Kara snapped. Her words were slow, and her tone was still the same, dull, uncharacteristic monotone, but it still came off as a snap. "We lost." she continued. "We were puppets on a string. Right now, I don't want to hear it. I just don't want to hear about it."

Rashaban shrugged, and gave in to her mood.

They simply sat, and watched as the colors deepened.

"Say something." she said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Anything. Just to say something. I can't stand this silence."

Rashaban thought for a minute, mentally slapped himself for bringing useless pickup lines to mind, and said, "You don't sound like you."

"I don't feel like me.", she replied.

Rashaban shrugged. "I can't ever remember feeling worse than this, but that doesn't mean I don't still feel like me. Why don't you feel yourself? He's trapped in there, you know."

Kara was silent.

"Hey, you were the one who said you hated the silence."

Still no response.

"Change the subject?"

"We've never lost.", she said abruptly.

"What?"

"Think about it. We've never, ever lost. We've had tough fights, to be sure. We _almost_ lost to the Smith. We _almost_ lost to Andariel. Duriel was a gamble, and it paid off." Finally, she turned to face him. "But, we've never really lost."

She began counting on her fingers, "We've weaseled, slithered, tricked, gambled, and outright slashed and stabbed our way through this whole mess. We always found some way out. But today, some demon made it so we almost killed each other. And he would have laughed afterwards." she shook her head. "Have we finally hit our limit?"

Rashaban wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Say something else." she said, after a silence.

Rashaban scoured his brain for anything else to say.

"I wonder how Jehryn is.", was the only thing he could come up with.

"Not drivel. Come on, you always have something to say, and its never small talk."

An extremely cynical thought came to Rashaban's mind, and the more he turned it over in his head, the more he realized that it was true, and not cynical.

"This is the end of the line." He whispered.

"Come again?"

Louder this time, he said. "This is it. The end of the line. We can't beat him. If we go down there again, we'll end up killing each other. Know what happens after that?"

For the sake of something to listen to, Kara shook her head in a very deadpan way. "No, what?"

"The army at the docks will come, thinking they can overwhelm him. Mephisto won't stop them. He'll let them come, then he'll do to them what he did to us. The Wolves will turn on the freed Zakarum, the Zakarum will turn on the refugees, and the refugees will turn on the Wolves. He'll set them again each other, and with no one left to guard the docks, he'll just empty his Kahlim traps, and use the demons from them to attack the docks. He'll break down the barrier, and win. Then he'll take about a week to bring all his demons back to life, and Kurast will be his."

Kara seemed unfazed. Resting her head on her hand, she commented "That's a pretty grim fate."

Rashaban snorted. "And then, some Paladin is going to come along, and _he'll_ have some way to beat Mephisto's little mind-control trick, and he'll do everything we did, _plus _the stupid traps, and he'll kill Mephisto, and everyone will forget about us, and he'll be the big hero." Rashaban tossed a rock over the edge with a mirthless smirk. "Bastard."

That actually got Kara to laugh. She was glad to talk about something else. "What do you have against Paladins?"

Rashaban shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. I've never met one. They're supposed to be stuck up though, and they don't much like Necromancers, but I guess they have their uses."

"One of them came to my village, once. He left, though. Just passing through.", Kara recalled.

Rashaban nodded silently, then said, "I think I saw an Assassin down by the docks once. I forget if she came on the raid or not."

"It's hard to talk to someone you just recently almost killed." Kara noted, half joking, half serious.

Rashaban paused for a moment, his mind working on something else to say. Then, totally out of the blue even to himself, he said, a tone that was far too lighthearted, "Speaking of that, I was just wondering-" he quickly cut himself off. Mentally, he screamed at himself, 'What are you _DOING_, you idiot?!'

'Well, she wanted more conversation, so I just thought I'd just-'

'Just what? Spout one of Greiz's pick-up lines? Good thinking moron.'

'No! Just tastefully ask what she thought of me.'

'Right. Good timing, by the way. In case you didn't notice, we almost just killed each other!! Listen, I don't need to hear your-'

"Rashaban? Hello?", Kara's voice interrupted his internal tirade.

He snapped out of his little mental conversation, to see Kara looking at him quizzically.

'Hey, look, I took her mind off of it. She looks a lot happier.'

'Shut up.' Outwardly, he just said, "What?"

"You were going to ask me something, then you just zoned out. How come?"

"Oh, oh, its nothing.", he hurriedly replied.

"Okay, then, what were you going to ask?"

'Ask her!' part of him begged. "It skipped my mind, sorry.", he said out loud.

Kara smiled. "Don't give me that. I could tell from your voice it was going to be some wisecrack, and now you won't say it. "

'See, now she thinks it's a wisecrack! Good timing, you useless, drooling-!!'

"No, it was dumb. Forget it.", he spoke aloud.

"Oh, come on, I could use a laugh.", she pleaded jokingly.

"It wasn't a joke."

"Oh, so you were going to say something dumb that wasn't a joke?"

Rashaban rolled his eyes. "I just said that. Forget it."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's better than not talking."

Rashaban sighed in irritation, both at Kara and himself. "Just never mind!"

"What? And end this great conversation?" Kara smiled one of her smiles at him, and Rashaban's stomach flipped at the sight.

"It's stupid.", he said, frantically trying to make up something else, and determined no to make a fool of himself.

"I'm not giving up.", Kara leaned over towards him.

"I'm warning you, it's not something I'd be very smart to-"

Kara aimed her bow at him, with no arrow. "Spill or I'll shoot."

Rashaban threw up his hands and got up. "Why are you acting this way?!"

Kara smiled, but this time Rashaban could tell it was forced. "Because, I don't want to think about it." Rashaban didn't need any explanation to know what she meant. "I'd rather think about anything else." she continued. "So, please, just say it. I don't care how stupid it is." Seeing the look in her eyes, Rashaban vainly looked for something else to say. Finally, he shook his head, threw up his hands again, and gave up.

"Fine, fine."

He sat down again, facing her.

"You want to talk about something else? Fine. How about how much of an idiot I am."

Kara cocked her head.

With a sigh, Rashaban nervously asked, "I was just wondering, do you…"

"Come on, you got that far last time."

Finally, Rashaban blurted, "Are you interested in me?"

Kara just raised an eyebrow. "Interested? Let's see, we travel together, we're good friends, we-"

"I meant, are you _interested_ in me." Rashaban cut her off.

Kara looked confused for a second, then she got it. "Oh." She was silent for a second, then blurted, "I almost killed you! You almost killed me! You picked a hell of time to ask!"

Rashaban just smiled. "I _told_ you it was a stupid question. Bad timing. Just forget I asked."

Kara smiled back, not quite sure what to think, just taken aback, but knowing she had to say something. "Oh? I should, should I? And, then what?"

"Then, I die cold and alone. Serves me right, I guess." Rashaban laughed.

Kara laughed along with him, still at a loss for how to answer him.

"Just forget it." Rashaban waved his hand, as if to wave away his foolish question.

Kara didn't respond.

The sun had set long ago, and now, they simply sat, in the darkness, though they weren't quite sure what for.


	49. Back On Their Feet

The silence returned, and Rashaban was busy berating himself inwardly for making such a fool of himself, while Kara just stewed in her thoughts. She stewed over Rashaban's question for about five minutes, but she was so confused now, she didn't even know where to start. Her mind wandered to his prediction. She knew it was true. Everything except the part about the Paladin saving the day would surely come to pass. They could go back and warn everyone, but what would that accomplish? Nothing.

As she stewed more and more, she started getting less and less depressed, and more and more like herself. She went over all the options in her head, trying to turn them sideways and look for an opening, again and again, but to no avail. Rashaban was better at this. She was getting frustrated. And, as she did, her drive began to return, her belief that they not only _could_ win, they _had_ to. This was no different than Lut Gohlein, with all the people below them, needing their aid, and only theirs, above all else. If they didn't overcome this, then all the refugees were going to die, and that was just the start of it. Everyone they had saved from Duriel in Lut Gohlein would die, even if it took an extra year or two for Mephisto to extend his reach.

"Kara?"

She whirled around to face him.

"Why are you pacing?" Rashaban had the same monotone she had been using earlier. She hadn't even noticed that she had gotten up and started pacing the length of the temple rooftop. Kara reached down and grabbed his arm, and fixed him with a look that held all of her intensity, and made it clear what they were fighting for. "I'm pacing because I realized that this is no different than Lut Gohlein. Those people at the docks are going to die for sure if we don't pull this off."

Rashaban looked like he desperately wanted to agree, but shrugged helplessly. "How??" he pleaded. "In case you forgot, he can make us murder each other just by willing it."

Kara cursed. He was right, of course. It wasn't that simple. If they were going to go in again, they needed a plan.

And, thinking furiously, as she still held his arm, it came to her in a flash. It was a bit of a long shot. She was sure that when she looked back on this later, she would say it was ridiculous. But, it was something.

All of a sudden, she yanked him to his feet.

"Listen, Rashaban, we made it this far. _This far._ We've been through way too much to back down, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let some demon get the better of us now. We both gave our _lives_ for this cause, and there's no way we're giving up so easy."

Rashaban looked torn. "Got a plan?"

Kara let go of him arm, and nodded quickly, spouting an affirmative. "We've survived his attack once, that should give us a chance to feel it, see it coming and resist."

"Is that all?"

"No." Here she paused. "How much have we been through together? The both of us? A lot, you'd say?"

"If I spent the rest of the night, I'd have a hard time listing everything we _have_ been through."

"Then we _can_ get through this, together."

"I'm listening.", Rashaban said intently. If she had even the hint of a plan, he was prepared to act on it.

She took a deep breath, then said, "We need to make ourselves immune to his hatred. Focus on each other. From this moment on, I need you to focus on me. Don't take your eyes off me for a second, don't let your thoughts drift from me. I don't care how you do it, if you need to be a pig, do it. Just never stop focusing on me. I'll do the same for you." She smirked. "Judging by your question earlier, that shouldn't be too hard."

Rashaban actually blushed. She never thought she'd see it, but he did.

"I'll do the same for you.", Kara repeated.

Very softly, Rashaban asked, "Will this be as easy for you as it is for me?"

Kara was silent for a moment as she took in what he had just said. She could easily tell that he was torn between simply wanting to let his feelings go, and the realization that they might not be returned. She scrambled for a response in her head, and one came to her in a flash. It wasn't a real answer, but it would work for now. She grabbed his arm once more, and said, "I'll answer that over Mephisto's dead body."

Rashaban nodded, making himself satisfied with that. "You really think this will work?"

Kara nodded fiercely. "I'm not about to give up, and if we just _focus_ hard enough, I don't think he'll be able to get a foothold in our minds. We can block him out this way, and even if he does get in, he'll have to fight us this time. And, once we get him out of our heads, we both know we can kill him. I'm sure it will work." She smirked. "Besides, what are you complaining about?" With that, she turned back to the entrance, and vanished into the blackness.

Blushing again, Rashaban followed her back into the depths.

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As he ran down after her, Rashaban did as the plan called for. He laughed internally. For once, she had come up with the brilliant plan. This was going to be easy. He just let his long pent-up feelings rush out; it was actually kind of refreshing. The only problem was that now he was focusing on _her_ and he knew he wouldn't be focused on the combat.

'No problem', the testosterone part of his mind assured him. 'Mephisto will be so easy, it'll be over before you know it. Then, it won't be long before I _finally get some…_"

Rashaban let his thoughts wander on like that, because Kara had told him to. But, a part of him held back. He knew that the answer to his question would likely be no, just as he had thought, all along. He sighed in disappointment as another part of him rambled on a in a less-than-modest way. He shook his head. He wasn't going to get a thing, and now that he'd bungled it, things between them would probably get awkward, and he'd lose her personality that he'd fallen in love with too.

'No point in thinking like that now. I need to focus on her until this is done. And fight at the same time. So, testosterone, I turn the show over to you.'

'Thank you. Have you _seen_ how big her…'

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Kara, however, was having a much less simplistic conversation with herself.

'Is this going to be as easy for you as it is for me? That's quite a line.'

'Right now, we just need to kill Mephisto. I'll sort this out later.'

'Not so fast. How do you plan to focus on him without thinking about it? You need to know, before you step in there, exactly what you feel for him. If he's just a friend, you can focus on him that way. If he's something more, then focus that way. But, being wishy-washy is just going to let Mephisto in. And that's going to get the both of us killed.'

Kara had no response to herself.

'You heard the tone in his voice, when he asked how easy it was going to be? He's not joking.'

Still, no response.

'Just answer, do you love him?'

She hesitated for a moment. 'No. I admire him, he's a good friend, and a fine comrade. But, I don't love him.'

'There, you said it. It's final.'

Kara nodded to herself.

'What's that there? Is that regret I'm feeling? Okay, let me rephrase that. _Could_ you love him?'

As she ran, Kara thought back. Quick memories flashed in her mind, snippets of all they had faced together. Back to their first meeting. Back to how he had thrown her over the wall, but then graciously offered to find her things. What the Rouges had thought of them, and how Rashaban had reacted. Most men would have taken that situation very differently.

Back to that wall on top of Lut Gohlein, and how they had both feared for the city. How he rescued her from the stars.

Back to his selfless act for Sara and Cor. Back to the campfire, where she had caught a quick glimpse of his true face, underneath the aged mask. And, back a few hours ago, where they both had been defeated. And now, where they were both rising to the challenge again.

'You forgot the forest.' she reminded herself.

She gulped. 'Yes, the forest.', she replied, not wanting to think about it, but knowing the implications.

After a long pause, she asked herself, again. 'Well, could you?'

One final memory came back to her; it was a simple thing, hardly worth mentioning in the slew of everything else they had been through together. When she had saved him from the Smith, she remembered being at his bedside, and he had promised to come help the camp, no matter what. The comment had been from some silly bet they had made, about him wanting to sleep through some raids. But, he had remembered it, remembered in the aftermath of almost dying. And, that she had won. When they laughed about it, she remembered blushing, and thinking it was the first time he had actually admitted to a loss.

It was such a simple thing, so small, so insignificant. And yet, that simple thing seemed more relevant now that anything in the world.

"Yes." she said aloud, though Rashaban didn't hear. "I think I could."

'There. A bit more satisfied with that answer?'

Inwardly, she nodded, though her head was still a bit muddled. 'I…I …I just don't quite know-'

'The details don't matter right now.', she cut herself off. 'Now, let's kill this guy and finish this.'

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Mephisto could sense them returning, and practically cackled with glee. So soon, so soon…


	50. The End!

Just outside, right before they burst into the chamber, they shared a long glance. A long, intimate stare into the other's eyes. Within that stare, what was left of Kara's confusion simply melted away, and Rashaban's mind quickly ceased its yammering. In that glance, all questions melted away. There was only the two of them. The two of them and their mission. Everything they had been through, all the shared combat and sacrifice and hardship, coalesced into an almost telepathic bond. They almost ceased to be two separate people, and from that moment on, acted as one. Their first act was to burst around the corner, and into Mephisto's chamber.

Mephisto had sensed something wrong when they neared his room. When they burst around the corner, he could instantly feel it. That one seed that he had noticed and overlooked before had begun to sprout, and now they were bonded far, far more than they had been earlier. He tried to probe their minds, and pour in his hate once more, but he found them blocked. Not by discipline, but by a tightly shared bond that was quickly becoming far more than mere camaraderie. He could never make them hate the other now. He didn't know what had gone on between them, but now, for the first time in a thousand years, The Lord of Hatred felt fear. He feared the one thing that could destroy him. Love.

They rushed towards him as one. Rashaban cast his weakness curse at Mephisto, and felt it take hold. Kara unslung her bow, and fired three arrows for his head. The second before they struck, the curse switched to the red double damage, and once they had hit, back to weakness. Mephisto tried to hurl a bolt of power, but his magical energy was being sapped by the curse, and the Amazon dodged it easily.

Kara dropped her bow and sprinted for the demon, pulling her trident off of her back. As she reached top speed, the floor in front of her rose to the form of the clay golem, crouched with its hands in position to give her a boost. Just as her feet hit its hands, she was launched into the air towards Mephisto. He pulled up his magical tendrils to block, but Rashaban's curse was ready, and Kara charged her spear with lighting and flung a warcry from her lips as she blasted through, thrusting the spear with all her might into Mephisto's horrid skull. It lodged there, buried halfway up the shaft. Quickly dropping to the floor, Kara pulled out her javelins and tried to run, but the time it took for her to fall gave Mephisto an advantage. Enraged, he surrounded her with his tendrils, and prepared to impale her from all directions. Kara whirled around, but she was trapped. Rashaban's curse again changed to weakness, and when Mephisto's sluggish tendrils struck, she was everywhere at once, dodging their hits or knocking them aside with her javelin.

Giving up on that tactic, Mephisto simply used his tendrils to crowd her into a smaller and smaller circle, giving her no room to dodge, and making the walls too high for her to jump. His gigantic skull leering over her, he cut loose a bolt of power from his mouth that she now had no way to dodge. The javelin heads on her back seemed to explode at the same instant, and they swiftly reformed into a huge Iron Golem. The mighty creation simply took the hit in stride, and ploughed through the wall of tendrils, Kara quickly following. Mephisto's attention now on the huge golem, Kara ran back to Rashaban, grabbing her gemmed bow on the way. Rashaban already had the Ichorsting Crossbow in his hands.

They both took up firing positions, and buried Mephisto under a hail of bolts and arrows, firing in perfect concert, the aura of Rashaban's curses switching from red to yellow in between vollies. Constantly weakened, Mephisto couldn't defeat his iron opponent until it was too late. But, it wasn't the curses, or the golem, or the hits that tore Mephisto apart. It was the fact that each arrow, each bolt, hit him in exactly the same spot, at exactly the same moment. It was the fact that each was fired by a hand that could never hate the other. By the time the golem went down, Mephisto's glowing form was darkened with holes torn by the missiles, and all of his tendrils had faded away with the loss of his power.

Rashaban and Kara dropped their bows, and reached into their packs. Mephisto could not have imagined what they brought out.

The knives that had slain Andariel.

Mephisto gasped, and floated backwards. He knew he was beaten already, but this…this was horrible. As Kara advanced, Rashaban held out an arm to stop her. "Would you care to use mine?" ,he offered.

Kara smiled. "Why, I do believe I would."

Mephisto really did cower at that. He wasn't even being defeated by two separate people, he finally saw. He was being brought down by the both of them as one. That was the worst fate of all. He screamed, not even bringing up his hands in a final gesture of defiance as they marched towards him, their steps perfectly in sync. He simply cowered against the wall, and made no move to stop them, even as clay arms rose from the floor to hold him down, and they plunged their magical knives into him, a mirror of their previous victory using those same weapons. They even spoke as one, "You are banished, Mephisto."

Even as his bones crumbled into ash and his soul was sucked back into his soulstone, his dying scream reverberated off the walls, and echoed for what seemed like an eternity afterwards.

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Once Mephisto's scream had finally echoed away, the two heroes shook their heads, as if they were waking up.

"What…what did we do?" Rashaban wondered. "I didn't feel like I was in control of myself that whole time."

Kara smirked. "I guess my plan worked a little better than I thought. We did it."

Rashaban just shook his head, and rummaged around in the ashes. He picked up the yellow soulstone. "Imagine putting this in your forehead?" he joked. Kara snickered and went off to a treasure stash in the corner.

As Rashaban sifted through the ashes, he mechanically picked up the treasure he found, but his mind was elsewhere.

'Ask her! Cmon, we're done, he's dead, now ASK HER!'

'I'm afraid she'll have to answer me herself. And, it doesn't look good.'

'Don't talk like that! Cmon!'

From her own treasure pile, Kara had much the same thing on her mind. She looked back over towards him, and could almost see the gears grinding in his head.

'Well? What are you going to do?'

'I should take some time…'

'Time shmie! If you say you don't care now, what's gonna happen? You're gonna break his heart! Have you been _blind_ for the last hour? It took the both of us to finish this, and if you ask me, it takes the both of us to live! Now, get over there!'

Gulping, Kara admitted she was right. She still wasn't sure exactly how she felt, but she was more than willing to give him a try, and not willing to break his heart, especially now.

Suddenly, she had no idea what to do. The Amazon Monastery had been all-female.

'What do I do?'

'Try going up to him. That's a start.'

She slowly walked over; he was still sifting through the treasure. "Umm, Rashaban…" she still didn't know what to say, maybe something about yes, but give me some space for a while...

He slowly got up from his treasure, all of it falling from his fingers, and turned towards her. His eyes said everything. His eyes said that she was the only one he had ever looked at, she was the only one he wanted. They said he wanted her _badly_. And, they said he was prepared for the inevitable rejection.

There was such sadness and longing in those eyes, Kara didn't know how he could have ever pent it all up inside for so long. At the sight, the words she had been preparing flew from her mind.

'_I_ made those eyes…" was the only thing she could think. For the first time, she noticed their color. They were gray.

Rashaban opened his mouth to tell her, to tell those big blue eyes, over his own objections, that she didn't need to answer, it was fine.

But before he could breathe a word, Kara wrapped her arms around him, closed her eyes, and pressed her mouth to his, drawing her body in close. Wrapped so tightly around him, she felt his whole body shiver. For a split second Kara was afraid he was going to faint on her. But, it only took him another half-second to get over the shock, and he returned the kiss as passionately as she given it.

Once they fell back from their embrace, Kara giggled like she was twelve. "I told you I'd answer you." she whispered, in a voice the made Rashaban's heart leap and his stomach flip.

He struggled for something to say. 'Cmon! I always have a line! I need something now!'

But, nothing came to him. His brain had been completely fried by the perfect woman he had never believed he could have.

Kara just giggled again when she saw how completely blown away he was. She decided a joke was in order. She looked down, and muttered, in his ear. "Funny place for a first kiss."

He looked down and saw they were still standing in the Lord of Hatred's ashes. Both laughing, they quickly stepped out.

As Rashaban turned to face her again, his stomach dropping out from under him at the mere sight of her face, he suddenly remembered something.

"This can't be happening.", he said.

Kara cocked her head. "Why not?"

Rashaban smiled shyly, "I never expected a wish on a star to come true."

Kara's eyes widened, "You…wished on a star for me?"

Unbeknownst to Rashaban, in Amazon lore, a person only got one wish on a star, and it was not to be wasted. Unlike everyone else, who told their children that wishing on a star was useless once they got old enough, the Amazons still believed it, into their old age, and told their children how precious it was. Also, wishing for a person was very risky; it almost never came true.

Kara's mouth was still hanging open at the idea that Rashaban had used, and almost wasted, his one and only wish on her.

"I can't believe you…", she whispered.

"Should have done it a long time ago," he murmured, and kissed her again.

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They were in the middle of their third kiss (the amateurs had just rediscovered that, amazingly, the mouth possessed a tongue), when they were cut off by a huge crash. They both broke off, wearing a, 'This is _not_ the time for a disaster' look on their faces. Still holding each other, they looked towards the source; a heavy column near the center of the room had just split apart along a seam, revealing a sinister red portal.

They both instantly knew what it was; Cain had told them as much back at the docks, which now seemed a much-less-pleasant world away. They looked at each other, than broke off the embrace, and headed towards it. Nothing was coming out.

Kara looked at him warily. "Can we close it?"

Rashaban looked thoughtful, but no less cautious. "I _can_ close it. But, if every demon we bump off will get me kiss like that, I wouldn't do it for the world."

Kara laughed at that, then looked back at the swirling red maelstrom. She sighed heavily, "Well, party's over. We'd better go talk to Cain, and ask him what to do with it."

As she looked to see where they had dropped their packs, Rashaban caught her arm. "Wait."

"Hm?", she turned back towards him, expecting maybe another kiss.

"If…if he does tell us to go through, will you go?"

Kara smiled that stomach dropping smile, and replied, in an even more stomach dropping voice, "For you, I'd go anywhere." She stuck out her hand, looking him square in the eyes. "To hell?"

He grabbed her hand, never once taking his eyes from hers. "And back."

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Warriv sets down his mug next to fireplace, leans over, and says, "Two finest heroes I ever met. I know so much about their adventures here because I was here when they were; that's the honest truth. In Lut Gohlein, I was back and forth between here and there, so I didn't see as much of 'em." But I sure saw how that city was wiped off the map, and I sure saw how Jehryn built it right back up again. And Meshif, oh, he told me all about Kurast."

Kayasha comes over, and sits next to him, with a smile, her hand on his. "Yes, I'm sure he told you about how those two liberated the Monastery we're sitting in right now. They were true heroes. Solmo would have been proud."

"What happened, you say? I honestly don't know. Meshif had to leave before they figured out what to do, and I haven't met up with him for a few months now. I used to make the trip to Lut Gohlein pretty regularly, but now, _somebody_ keeps me here."

He looks over at Kayasha with a mock glare.

"But, I'll be going next month, if you want to come along."

**A/N And they lived happily ever after. THE END!!**

**That's a wrap! I had toyed with a couple of different endings, including one where Sara and Cor play a bigger role, one where a random paladin actually _does_ show up, and one where they just beat Mephisto like normal, without any of the romance attached, and just close the portal afterwards, trapping Diablo. But, they were all just so anticlimactic, so I settled on the sappy ending. And the bit about Warriv telling the story was mostly to explain why Act I is so much longer than the others. I didn't put in Act IV because there's no story there at all, (and it took me forever because I started it at lvl 25 with both Rashaban and Kara lol), and I never got LOD : ( Anyway, tell me what you think! Good, bad, I'd like to hear it! **

**Oh, and after reading some of the funnier fics in this section, I just had to bang out a joke ending, so check that out too. I wasn't going to post it, but my friend said it was hilarious, so I did. **


	51. Teh Joke Ending

**A/N After reading some of the funnier fics in this section, I just had to try writing a joke ending for mine. It's mildly amusing, but nowhere near as funny as some of the other ones. This starts where Rashaban is talking to Cor and Sara, while they're still recovering from the Council Member**

"So, in short, we're out of commission for a while.", Sara finished.

Rashaban was silent for a moment, then said, "Bah! Let me see your arm, Sara."

She looked confused, but took the bandages off.

He took one look at it and said, "Bah! Sprained wrists! I can fix this easy! What do you think we Necromancers study corpses all day for, anyway? It's not as is if we're into that." He paused. "On second thought, there were few guys… anyway, that's not the point."

A while light enveloped her wrists for a moment, and then vanished. "There. All done."

Sara was, understandably, a bit dumbstruck at it. "How…"

"I'll spare you the speech about how Necromancy is a two sided coin. We study life _and_ death, yadda yadda. Your arm is fixed."

He turned to Cor. "Now, if I hadn't used up_ your_ arm, this would be easier."

A pause.

"However, then you'd be dead."

Another pause.

"Soooo, you have two options. You can sit here in bed for another two months while I re-grow your arm for you, or you can have Hratli make you a badass metal one, and I'll hook it up to your body so you can use the hand like normal. It won't be half as quick and you won't be able to use your wrist very much, but it will be metal and awesome. That will probably take another month or two as well."

Cor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You mean like the guy from Berserk?"

"Yes, just like that. Only, you don't get a repeating crossbow _and_ a cannon. That's just overdoing it. You have to pick one or the other. And, the giant sword is _your_ problem, not mine."

"It'll take the badass option.", Cor said approvingly.

"Excellent choice. I got a C- in Regrowing Limbs anyway. Let's go and see that bastard Hratli."

---A month or two later---

And our group of awesome heroes hacks their way through the jungle.

"What the & is up with these damn quests?! Find Kahlim's Eye. Find Kahlim's Brain. Find Kahlim's Testacles. This is retarded. Let's just go to Travincal ourselves." The rest of the group, after a week of scouring the jungle for Kahlim's Assorted Body Parts, agreed.

"Why do we need to mess with this stupid jungle, anyway.?"

--town portal—

"Hey, Meshif! Sail your dumb boat up the river for us. We're tired of midgets."

"Is that safe?", he replied.

"Safer than if you _don't._"

"I see. What about the Water Stalkers?"

Cor brandished his new cannon arm.

"Oh. Ok."

--Our heroes sail past all the damn jungle nuisances—

"Well, here we are!"

"It's them!" yells a Council Member.

---Our heroes take on three Council Members each---

"Damn, we're badass!"

"I know."

---our heroes climb three stories of stairs to the Compelling Orb.---

"Well, supposedly we need what's-his-name's-flail for this."

"The key word being 'supposedly.'" Cor noticed a sign that said

Compelling Orb

_FRAGILE_

You break it you buy it

Cor walked up and "accidentally" bumped it. It fell of and broke on the hard flagstones. "Oops."

Magically, a bunch of stairs appeared behind them.

"Let's go."

------Epic Battle Ensues!----

---Portal to hell opens!-------

End of Act 3!!!!!!!1!!!!1!!111!!!!!!!!!!!!one111!!!!!!!

"You know, Sara and I could just _close_ this evil portal to hell, and leave Diablo trapped there…" Rashaban commented.

Cor shrugged. "Nah. Cmon, where's the fun in that?"

"Ummmm, there's some 'not dying' in that…"

Not wanting an argument, Kara just pushed them all into the portal.

They all fell out of the portal into some marble mansion in the middle of hell. Deckard Cain was there.

"CAIN?!" They all said at once. "HOW THE HELL?!"

"Oh, Tyrael brought me here," said Cain, pointing behind him. There stood Tyrael, surrounded by shimmering lights and looking very powerful, indeed.

"Hey, Tyrael", Cor said, "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"YOU MAY SPEAK" Tyrael intoned.

"If you're so powerful, why don't _you_ just go and kill Diablo? Or ,at least, ya know, help?"

Tyrael stopped shimmering for a moment, then said, in a very downtrodden voice, "Well, you see, I just look badass. I'm actually weak and cowardly. There. I said it. Now, those two paladins will sell you stuff, but they're illegal immigrants, so they can't talk to you, and they have no backstory."

"Whatever, let's go."

Our heroes proceed down the stairs.

"What the hell _are_ those things?!?! They crap out clones of themselves!"

"Just kill em!"

Epic battle against 1,001 demons ensues.

"Sweet! Treasure! I got a wand that lets me have 8,000 skeletons!", yelled Rashaban. "Just what I've always wanted."

Kara looked happy with hers, "I found a bow that increases my bust size two letters, _and_ lets me shoot 20 arrows at a time!"

"Nice", commented Rashaban and Cor.

"I found a staff that gives +50 to every spell ever made, and -12 inches to these conveniently placed cloth things on my outfit.", said Sara

"Nice", commented Rashaban and Cor.

"What did you get, Cor?"

"Nothing magical. But, I did find a set of brass knuckles! They give me +3 to hitting things on the head!"

"So…."

"So, now I can fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a bouncer!" his face beamed.

"Why are you putting brass knuckles over your metal hand?"

"Alright, we're ready! Let's go!"

---Some time later…---..

"Okay, we can't go forwards anymore, so that must mean this is the end!"

Diablo's disembodied voice spoke, "Not so fast. First, you have to do a "pu-zzle". And by puzzle, I mean go kill some more stuff."

"Damnit, fine. Everybody, go do this dumb puzzle."

Five minutes later….

"Okay we did it! Now, come out!", they called.

"Okay, go stand on the big, evil looking pentagram.", Diablo's voice spoke.

"Sure, _that's_ not a trap."

"No, it isn't. I promise."

"Well, if you say so…"

Our heroes go and stand on it.

"Well, now what?"

"Now, I was crossing my fingers! See ya, suckers!"

The floor falls out from underneath them, and they fall into the boiling lava.

THE END

**A/N Lol there ya go. Anyway, see ya around, and thanks for reading!**


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